The Reason
by Seyary-Minamoto
Summary: The red string of fate can stretch and tangle, but it will never break. A story about how love can be formed under the strangest and most unexpected circumstances, between the least expected people. Prequel to "The Origins of Pro-Bending". Not an AU.
1. 1: Boy Meets Girl

_**And here it is! The promised fic! This one is a completely Sokkla centered fic; hopefully you'll enjoy it a lot! With this particular fic I'll hope to officially enter the Sokkla fandom, if you kind people will allow me to join you! ^^ long live Sokkla!**_

_**Although this fic will have some mild Sukka too .w. hope you don't mind! I'm just trying to keep it as canon as possible… but how canon can it be if you put Sokkla in, huh? xD**_

_**Enjoy The Reason!**_

"Well, this is your stop" muttered Katara, as Appa hovered above the Fire Nation Capital, looking for a good landing spot

"Thanks for the ride!" said Sokka, grinning happily

Aang smiled as well as he guided Appa towards the entrance of the Palace. Many people stared at the magnificent creature with awe during his landing, and other scurried away to avoid getting crushed by the bison once he reached solid ground.

"It was a fine landing job" said Aang patting Appa on the head "Well done, buddy!"

Appa replied with one of his usual roars as his passengers got off his saddle with a jump.

"We'll be back soon" said Aang, stroking his muzzle "Make sure to stay right here, okay?"

The six-legged bison licked him, making him chuckle. Aang turned to Katara and Sokka with a smile, gesturing towards the palace

"Ready?" he asked the young man, who grinned enthusiastically

"Of course!" he exclaimed, managing to jump with cheer despite carrying several bags with him

Sokka had been living the life of a nomad for a while now. He'd returned to the South Pole for a couple of months, he'd been staying at Toph's academy afterwards, curious to see the progress of the Lily Livers, and he'd been staying over at the recently founded Republic City with Aang and Katara until now. He had received a messenger hawk from Suki a few days ago, and he'd realized how much he missed her... therefore he decided to drop by at the Royal Palace for a few days to try and regain the time he'd spent apart from his girlfriend. It was clearly a surprise visit, not even Zuko had known they were coming, but surely he was aware that they were here after everyone had made a fuss over getting a glimpse of the huge bison that had just arrived in town.

And indeed, Zuko intercepted them when they were barely crossing the gates of the Royal Palace. He sprinted towards them with a gentle smile on his face, pleasantly surprised to see his friends once more

"Hello, Your Fireyness!" exclaimed Aang, rising an arm as a greeting to his friend and making a honorable bow afterwards "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It sure has!" said Zuko "Why did you arrive so suddenly? Why didn't you send word before getting here? Is this some sort of emergency or…?"

"Nah, none of that!" said Sokka, grinning

"Sokka got a message from Suki the other day" explained Katara "And he had the insane urge of coming to the Royal Palace and stay over here with her for a while"

"You're staying over…?" asked Zuko "Shouldn't you have, at least, warned me about this?" he asked, staring at Sokka with slight irritation

"Come on, lighten up, Zuko!" said Sokka, surrounding Zuko's shoulders with an arm "It's not like I'll be that much trouble!"

"You're ALWAYS trouble, Sokka" said Zuko "Besides, to make matters worse for you, Suki isn't here right now"

"SHE'S NOT?!" squealed Sokka, dismayed "Why?!"

"One of our ambassadors was heading towards one of the colonies, and judging by the amount of attacks there have been lately, I figured it'd be better if he was properly protected by the best warriors we've got" muttered Zuko

"B-but that's not fair…" said Sokka, looking depressed now

"If you'd said you were coming beforehand, I would have told you Suki wasn't here!" said Zuko, folding his arms

"Well, I guess I'll just wait until she gets back" said Sokka, sighing

"You will be staying over, then?" asked Aang "We could give you another lift if you want to go somewhere else…"

"Nah, I really don't have anywhere to go" said Sokka, shrugging "I'll be fine here!"

"What about you two?" asked Zuko, staring at Aang and Katara "You can stay for a while if you want to…"

"I don't think so, we have to get back to Republic City" said Aang, shaking his head "But thanks for the offer anyways"

"Don't you want to rest here for a while before taking off again?" asked Zuko

"No, there's no need for that" said Katara, grinning "We'll just be off now, don't worry about us. But please make sure Sokka behaves, okay?"

"I wish I could promise that" said Zuko, sighing as Sokka smiled happily

"Well, we'll be off now!" said Aang, waving at his two friends

"Say hi to Suki for me when you see her!" said Katara, hugging her brother quickly and returning to Aang's side immediately.

The pair walked hand in hand back towards where Appa waited, licking Fire Nation people who had come to see him only a few minutes after he had landed, impressed by his magnificence. Sokka and Zuko watched them until Appa finally took off, flying back towards Earth Kingdom territory.

"It's a relief to finally get away from them!" said Sokka, stretching "You have no idea how annoying those two can be when they're acting all lovey-dovey…"

"I can imagine" said Zuko, smiling "Is that the real reason why you wanted to stay? To get away from them?"

"I've been staying with them for about three months now, and I'm pretty sick of the oogie-osity by now" said Sokka, disgust clear on his face "She's my sister! That makes it at least three times the more annoying!"

"I guess you must be right" said Zuko, as they walked towards the palace "But I wouldn't know; luck gave me the one sister that's not prone to fall in love with anyone"

"You want her to fall for someone?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow "I wouldn't wish for that if I were you; imagine how much the poor guy would suffer at Azula's hands!"

"I get your point" said Zuko, sighing "But that would get her off my case eventually, right? She's always throwing jabs at me, telling me off for every single mistake I make… of course she thinks she has the right to do that because she's perfect! There's nothing wrong with her! She can do anything!"

Sokka seemed a little surprised by Zuko's outburst, and the Fire Lord realized a little too late how inappropriate it was to whine about his sister in this manner.

"Sorry, I guess I got carried away…"

"No need to apologize, pal" said Sokka "I know what it's like to have a crazy sister, although yours is worse than mine; no offense"

"None taken" muttered Zuko as they reached the main entrance of the Palace "What do you want to do now?"

"Hmm… I could do with some food!" said Sokka, grinning

"Food?" repeated Zuko "I don't think so… we had lunch over an hour ago, and there's probably no leftovers…"

"WHAT?!" squealed Sokka, apparently outraged "Well, that's just awesome! Of course the Fire Lord gets his food when he wants it, he has all the power he could get, but he won't even order one of his million servants to make some food for his best buddy, no, no, he can't do something like that! He'll never make any favors to anyone! Not even if that buddy has just traveled half the world and had NO LUNCH WHATSOEVER!"

"Okay, okay, CALM DOWN!" yelled Zuko, losing control for a second "I'll go talk to the kitchen staff and I'll see if there's anything you can eat… But you're not coming with me, got it?"

Sokka smiled with fake innocence, completely aware of the reason why Zuko wanted him away from the kitchen. He and Toph had earned themselves the titles of Public Enemies Number One and Two of the kitchen staff (to Sokka's annoyance, he was Number Two, but he planned on doing something about it soon) due to their incessant thieving; sneaking food out was a thrill for both of them, but it used to be quite annoying to hear Zuko and the head cook telling them off whenever they caught them in the middle of their scams.

"Alright, alright, I'm still an enemy of your servants, I get it" said Sokka, rising his arms as in a gesture of rendition "Where should I wait?"

"Go to the Dining Room and stay put, got it?" said Zuko "I'll bring you whatever I can find, so just be patient"

"I'll try…" muttered Sokka, while his stomach rumbled

They parted ways as Zuko headed towards the zone of the palace Sokka had been banished from. The Water Tribe boy stretched and walked towards a room with double doors, a nice and cozy dining room in which they all used to eat when they were together in the Palace. He entered it while looking backwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of Zuko holding an enormous and magnificent dish for him… but he knew it'd take longer than that for the Fire Lord to obtain a meal for him. He sat down on the nearest chair and he closed his eyes, trying to calm down somehow the hunger he was feeling…

"Well, well… It seems a peasant has lost his way to his hut" said a very familiar and cruel voice that made chills run down Sokka's spine.

The young man sat upright immediately and looked up. He'd been so busy thinking of the agony of starvation to even scan the room before entering, therefore he hadn't seen the Fire Nation Princess sitting opposite to him, her chin resting on her hand as she eyed him with interest

"W-what are you doing here?!" he asked, shocked

"Last time I checked, this palace was my home while you lived within an igloo down with your fellow Water Tribe peasants" she said, smirking "Which entitles me to ask what you're doing here, not the other way around"

Sokka felt a spasm right below his right eye as he stared at the despicable girl with hatred. Oh, she annoyed him so…

"Very funny" he said, irked "Well, I don't want to answer you, got it?!"

"How dare you talk back to me like that, you ignorant peasant?" she asked, still smirking at his reactions.

"STOP CALLING ME PEASANT!" he screamed, losing all his patience in a matter of seconds

"What should I call you, then?" said Azula "It's not like you're anything other than a peasant"

"I am much more than a peasant!" he claimed "Back home, I was pretty much a Prince myself!"

"Of course" she said, rolling her eyes "And, as I once said, I'm a four hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings. Yes, you're a prince alright…"

"I am! You can ask anyone from the Southern Water Tribe, they'll tell you I'm right!"

"Am I really supposed to take in all your nonsense, peasant?" she asked, raising her eyebrows "I know more about the world than you think I do. There is no such thing as royalty in the Southern Water Tribe"

"How could you know? You've never been there! HA!" he said, feeling like he had the upper hand in the discussion for once.

"I've read about your petty Tribe" said Azula "And that's why I know there's no royalty. There are more ways to gain knowledge other than flying around the world on the back of a flying beast, even if you're not aware of it"

"Yeah, right" muttered Sokka "Well; your source of information must be outdated! Because I'm a prince, whether you like it or not!"

"I doubt it's outdated" said Azula "My source is my brother, after all. But sure, let's play it your way. You're a prince now in my eyes. But there's something I'd like to know first"

"W-what is it?" muttered Sokka, bracing himself

"If you're a real prince… how come do you always act like a peasant?" she asked, smirking cruelly

"I DON'T ACT LIKE A PEASANT, DAMMIT!" yelled Sokka, striking the table in front of him with a punch

"That's the best way to prove it" said Azula, eyeing him with amusement "Only an uncivilized peasant would punch such expensive tables for no reason other than being unable to find a good counterargument"

"Y-you know what?! I don't have to answer to anything you say! So stop annoying me already, will you?!"

"I'm afraid that's out of the question" she said "I still don't even know what you're doing here after all"

"I'm just visiting, that's all!" said Sokka "It's none of your business anyway!"

"You're going to be staying over at my home, it's my business whether you like it or not. So spit it out already, I don't have all day to hear whichever reasons you've got to justify your stay here"

"I'll tell you… if you promise not to call me peasant ever again" said Sokka, smirking

"Oh, if that's all it takes… Sure, I won't call you peasant" said Azula, shrugging

"I just came to see Suki again" muttered Sokka "But she's not in town, so I guess I'll be staying until she returns, and when she does, we'll finally spend some quality time together"

Azula stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head

"That must be the most ludicrous motive I could have imagined" she said "You seriously came here only to see your girlfriend? Unbelievable"

"Well, I never would have expected you to understand anyways" said Sokka, shrugging dramatically "Seeing as you don't have a boyfriend… or girlfriend… which way do you swing, actually?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

Azula ignored his question, staring at him with total disgust

"You're right, I wouldn't understand. I won't ever respect a person that requires acting as a parasite towards others to consider himself of value. Being in a relationship is merely a sign of weakness, proof that you're not able to live on your own, that you're unable to fend for yourself"

"Of course you'd say that" said Sokka "You've never been in a relationship, so you don't get it, you'll never get it. Actually, I don't think you'll ever care enough for anyone other than yourself, so you'll never know what it feels like to be loved by somebody else!"

"Or that's what society would have you believe" said Azula, smirking "In the world we live in, people value relationships more than their own selves, they have the ridiculous notion that being in love and forming a family is the only way to succeed in life, when it's the entire opposite. Relationships and families will only drag you down, they'll make you weaker and they'll force you to discard all your desires. The funniest part is how nobody seems to notice this, how they all get involved with each other only because they 'don't wish to be alone'. It's so pathetic"

"Hey, I'm not going to deny that, there are tons of dopes out there that have that ridiculous notion of wanting to be accompanied because they can't be alone, but that's not my case! I really love Suki!"

"You do?" asked Azula "Impressive. Then I guess you'll be happy to forget about all your hopes and dreams for the future if it's for her sake, am I right?"

"Yeah, you are!" said Sokka

Azula rolled her eyes and shook her head, disappointed

"You're just another moron, I guess. Only a peasant would think that way"

"HEY! You said you wouldn't call me a peasant anymore!" said Sokka, frowning

"Oh, that's right, I did" said Azula, thoughtful "Alright, now I'll call you pest. How does that sound?"

"P-PEST?!" repeated Sokka, his ears turning red with anger

"I think it's rather adequate" said Azula, smirking

"Y-you… YOU ARE JUST THE WORST HUMAN BEING EVER! YOU'RE NOT EVEN HUMAN!" yelled Sokka, jumping off his chair and knocking it to the floor.

He didn't notice that Zuko had just opened the door behind him, and the chair almost knocked him and the platter of meat he'd brought with him

"Sokka! What are you doing?" asked Zuko, jumping backwards to avoid getting struck by the chair

"Zuko!" said the Water Tribe boy, relieved to see him "Thank goodness! Get your demented sister out of my sight! I can't stand her!"

"And here I was hoping you were having as much fun as I was" she said, with fake sadness on her voice "Too bad, I was sure we could become friends" she said, coating her words with her trademark sarcasm

"Y-you…" muttered Sokka while staring at her, almost throwing daggers with his eyes

"Don't kill each other, please!" said Zuko, entering the room and setting down the plate on the table "What's the matter with you two?"

"I was sitting here, merely thinking about some matters as I let time pass me by…" said Azula, playing with her bangs "… and all of sudden a crazy peasant walked in this room, completely uninvited… Oh, I'm sorry, pest! I'm so used to saying peasant! Yes, yes, pest, that he is…"

"STOP CALLING ME PEST!" yelled Sokka, desperate

"I won't deny that he's uninvited, he's here without any notice whatsoever" said Zuko, to Sokka's dismay "But it wouldn't hurt you to call him by his name, don't you think? Calling him pest is too cruel"

"Yeah, that's right! Well said, Fire Lord!" said Sokka, nodding in agreement

Azula rolled her eyes again and folded her arms

"I can't call him peasant, can't call him pest… what do you want to be called then? Worm? Bug? Do those sound more appealing to you?" she asked, without even attempting to mask the malicious tone of her voice.

"ARGH!" yelled Sokka, losing his nerve for the millionth time already

"No? None of those do it for you? Well, I wasn't very convinced either. Let's see… Rat? No, no, that's not enough… Cockroach? No, I bet you're not that hard to kill… Vermin…? Vermin! That's just perfect! Yes, I've made my decision. You'll be vermin from now on!"

Sokka seemed to be about to reach out towards the boomerang that hung on his back, but Zuko stopped him and gave his sister a significant look

"Azula, please…"

"Fine, fine" she said, standing up "You two can stay here and stuff yourselves with food as you always do, I'm not going to get in your way anymore. Zuzu, don't say I didn't warn you about gaining weight for eating too much"

"I'm not going to eat, and I'm not gaining weight…" he muttered, twitching with discomfort

"I guess I'll be seeing you both around, Zuzu, Vermin" she said, flashing Sokka the cruelest smile she could muster as she left the room.

"I… HATE… HER!" said Sokka, stomping on the floor as soon as Azula was out of his sight.

"I know you do" said Zuko, sitting down in front of the table as Sokka took the fallen chair and placed it on its rightful place "And I don't blame you. She's really getting overboard"

"She's always been like this!" said Sokka, digging into the food platter "You got gher off ghe hoshpital, but you gould hend her in again!"

"Say what?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow

"You got her off the hospital, but you should send her in again!" said Sokka "That girl is completely crazy!"

"I don't think she is" muttered Zuko "Not anymore, at least… the problem is that she doesn't respect anyone below her… and she thinks everyone's below her, so she doesn't respect anyone at all"

"I'm sick of her" said Sokka "Honestly; you have to do something about her! She's out of control!"

"Yes, she's out of it" said Zuko, as Sokka swallowed a bite off his stew "But she's still my sister, I can't do anything else to her… I've already done enough. I think she's actually trying to find her way in the world, and it's not easy for her to do so; I believe she can make it, but she needs time to figure out right and wrong"

"She needs time to grow up and stop being a moron" grunted Sokka, clearly irked "I can't believe how infuriating she can be! Honestly, a girl like that needs to learn a lesson!"

"Which lesson?" asked Zuko, surprised

"W-well… just a lesson! I don't know which one yet, but she has to learn one!" declared Sokka, folding his arms "Hell, I might even end up being the one teaching it to her!"

"Good luck with that" said Zuko, smiling a little.

Sokka didn't even hear him, he was too busy stuffing his face with food to listen to anything other than his thoughts, thoughts that kept telling him that he'd get back at her some day; that he'd make sure she'd apologize to him and acknowledge him properly rather than insulting him as she'd been doing ever since they'd met… He'd stay in this Palace for quite a while, that much had been decided already, so he had plenty of time to fulfill his goal. He would make Azula apologize, no matter what it'd take. He'd show her he wasn't to be insulted or toyed with, and he'd make sure she'd leave behind that arrogance of hers, arrogance which he despised, arrogance which had blinded her permanently and ensured she'd never feel anything for anyone else.

He would change her, one way or another. He knew he could do it.

_The red string of fate has been tied around the lovers' fingers, and it promises to bring them together one day; time, place and circumstances matter not. Fate will ensure their union; their destinies will bring them together._


	2. 2: Garden of Ruin

A few days of boredom passed by, and Sokka couldn't do anything other than wait for Suki's return while feeling deeply conflicted within himself. No matter how hard he tried to avoid being reached by Azula's words, he couldn't deny he was confused because of them. Was he really with Suki for the sole purpose of not being alone?

Well, of course not! They were a couple! A well established couple! But even when they were, nowadays he felt lonelier than ever, which didn't make any sense either... He shook his head and returned to the scroll he'd been scanning, trying to bask in knowledge to forget his confusion and troubles...

"What are you doing, Sokka?" asked Zuko, walking inside the small library Sokka had secluded himself in.

"Hey, Zuko!" he said, greeting his friend with a hand "I'm just reading some scrolls…"

"Which ones are you reading?" inquired the Fire Lord, approaching his friend and looking at the parchment in his hand "Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yeah..." said Sokka, smiling a little "I was just taking a look..."

"What for? You've been there yourself, what information could there be in here that you don't know about?"

"Well... I'm just trying to prove that I'm related to royalty!" squealed Sokka, folding his arms

"Is this about Azula again?" asked the Fire Lord, sighing

"Yes, it is!" yelled Sokka "I've been here for half a week now and she won't quit calling me vermin! I'll show her I'm related to royalty and she'll quit being so annoying and evil!"

"You don't really believe that's going to be enough to make her become nicer to you, do you?" asked Zuko

"You'll see!" said Sokka, returning to his scroll "I'll find proof, and she'll have no right to call me vermin anymore!"

"Good luck with that" said Zuko, shrugging "I doubt that'll be enough, but I could be wrong this time"

"Yeah, you'll be wrong this time, you'll see!" insisted Sokka, reading the parchment as quickly as possible

"Still... if you were related to the Northern Water Tribe's royalty, wouldn't that make you related to your first girlfriend?" asked Zuko, shocking Sokka

"W-w-what?!" he yelled, jumping in suprise "N-no, not necessarily! I'm sure I'm related to a minor branch of the family, I mustn't be that closely related to Yue! B-besides, that's not the point now!"

"If you say so" said Zuko, shrugging and grinning "I'll leave you to your research, then"

"Yes, please! Stop trying to traumatize me! It almost seems as if you were on her side!"

Zuko let out a small chuckle and left the room. But he couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't more to this than what met the eye... Sokka had spent these few days arguing with Azula each time he saw her, it even seemed as if she were the only thing in his mind... but surely he was just overanalyzing everything, right? There was no way Sokka had actually become interested in Azula in that way...

Sokka stared at the scroll with a twinge of disgust. Brilliant! Now he didn't want to be related to the Northern Tribe Royalty! But them again, how terrible could it be? He and Yue had only kissed a few times, she had been his first love and their relationship had been innocent and sweet! And if they were related, surely they were cousins twice or thrice removed, it wasn't as if they were brother and sister! After this small analysis, he felt slightly more relieved and he returned to his scroll with more enthusiasm. His grandmother had been from the Northern Tribe, but she had moved to the South and ran off on her current husband, Pakku... He had started out with this lead, but it seemed nearly impossible to find his ancestry like this.

After hours and hours of constant search, he finally found something useful. Six generations ago, the second princess of the Royal Family had taken the Crown and become the successor after her sister perished due to a bad case of hypothermia. But the first princess had given birth to a baby just before falling prey to the disease. The baby was meant to inherit the throne after his mother, but they had needed a proper ruler, and that was the reason why the line of succession had been moved to another branch of the family. The first princess's son never regained the throne, he decided to lead the life of a normal person...

And that wouldn't have meant anything significant to anyone, but there was a small detail that caught Sokka's eye: _"Kunro, the child of the first princess, lost his right to succeed his mother on the throne. He lived a very humble life, helping other members of his Tribe. It has been said that he used to save those who fell into the water, since he wished to avoid having anyone else die in the same manner as his mother, and he used to walk around the city with his trusty boomerang swinging on his back"_

Sokka read the sentences several times over and several times again, knowing now that he was definitely related to the Northern Water Tribe Royalty! What other proof was necessary aside from the boomerang? It all added up! He took the scrolls and ran outside the room, hoping to bump into the irritating princess as he always did. He knew she wouldn't find anything to oppose his claims now!

And since the universe loved making fun of him, he couldn't find her anywhere, no matter where he looked. He even dared enter her room, terrified at wondering how she'd burn him to cinders if she found him in her chambers... but luckily, she hadn't been in her room either.

He walked through the entire palace, wandering even in the rooms he was least familiar with. Was she hiding in some secret corridor, perhaps? Maybe she had left the compounds of the Royal Palace and gone off for a trip to the city… No, that couldn't be it. Azula never went outside the perimeter of the palace; she wasn't bound to leave all of sudden without a palanquin or a royal procession. Frowning, Sokka kept walking around the building while trying to think of where the annoying princess could be right now. He walked by the small yard there was inside the palace, wondering if Azula would enjoy a quiet stroll down the garden, next to the pond in which the turtle-ducks swam happily… But she wasn't there either.

Sokka wasn't a man with much patience, and he was starting to think the irritating girl had vanished into the Spirit World judging by how impossible it seemed to find her. He sighed and kept walking, sure that he'd end up finding her sooner or later… And indeed, he found her just as he was about to give up all hope of doing so.

Standing in the center of the Coronation Temple and Plaza of the Royal Palace was Azula, looking surprisingly disheveled. Sokka frowned at the sight of the girl, who was wearing clothes fit for training rather than her usual stuck up outfits; her hair was out of the usual top knot she always tied it into and it fell in elegant (but contradicting) disarray on her shoulders. Sokka approached, but something about the stance of the Princess made him stop in his footsteps, staring at her as if under a strange trance. What was she doing? Why was she there, looking so different to the usual Azula everyone was used to seeing? She was standing there, completely alone and without holding her head up high, without the arrogance she always displayed with pride.

Only then did Sokka realize what he was standing on. Below him were the grates from which Katara had brought out the water in which she'd frozen herself and Azula, where she had tied up the Princess back during her Agni Kai with Zuko. Suddenly, the truth downed upon Sokka, even though he couldn't quite understand it yet. Was she grieving and regretting the events of that fateful day? Was she thinking of what could have changed if she'd been quicker and slyer than Katara?

Suddenly, she took a deep breath and jumped, kicking the air with one of her potent strikes enveloped in blue flames. She spun in midair as she felt the fire empowering her, coursing through her body. She performed a set of punches without any real goal, and each one of them sent out a blue fireball, strong and steady. She turned around and jumped one more time, both her feet surrounded by her trademark blue fire.

Sokka couldn't do anything other than stare in disbelief. It was the first time he'd ever witnessed bending like this. He'd grown up with a waterbending prodigy, and she used to annoy him a lot whenever she made her displays of her bending skills. After all his travels with the gang, he'd started to feel a little more friendly towards bending, since it came in handy very often, but he'd never even thought of thinking of bending as something amazing… until now.

Her movements were the most graceful he'd ever been witness to, the fire around her seemed to dance with each of her movements, obeying her without question. It wasn't the bending he was used to seeing, bending that was brought out by a set of moves performed at a specific moment and pace; this time it was different, he didn't really know what made it so special, so magnificent, but there was something about seeing that dangerous and beautiful firebending prodigy letting out her frustrations and anger as she bent the fire around her with ease, as if it were only a second nature to her. There was no denial she was a prodigy, or that she was royalty, or that she was beautiful…

That last thought brought Sokka back to the real world for an instant. Azula, beautiful? What was wrong with him?! That girl was crazy! She was a monster; she was the personification of evil! No one was as cruel as she was! So… why did he feel this strange admiration after seeing her impressive routine? Well, he couldn't really call it a routine. It was obvious that these weren't movements she'd use to train or to fight in a real battle; she was clearly just enjoying herself… and the expression of complete calm on her face proved it. He had never ever seen her so relaxed, so peaceful and solemn… Sure, she wasn't smiling, but she wasn't smirking nor frowning; any trace of her usual arrogant attitude had vanished.

It was in that moment in which Sokka realized he was seeing the real Azula for the first time; the real girl beneath all those layers of plotting and superiority. And he wasn't going to deny it anymore: she really was amazingly beautiful, and so was her way of bending. They were one, actually, Azula and her blue flames. They danced around in perfect synch, requiting each other's movements perfectly. The fire obeyed her, but she obeyed the fire as well.

He couldn't even think of taking his eyes off her, he couldn't even think properly anymore. All he could do was stare and admire the girl's skills and prowess with awe. Azula suddenly began twirling around, gaining speed quickly until she finally mustered an immense pillar of fire that propelled her upwards, taking her above the tallest towers of the Palace. She was still spinning as she reached the highest point of her trajectory, her eyes fixated upon the sky, upon the far away stars that were starting to appear in it. They were unreachable, she'd never make it high enough to get to them… just as she'd never again be close to regaining all of which she had once wished for. Her throne, her pride, her strength, her followers… she had let them slip through her fingers, just as she was going to let the stars go now. She raised a hand up towards a small red dot she could see up above, a tiny star far, far away… and she let herself plummet to the ground as her pillar of fire vanished, and she stopped her fall with her fire before crashing painfully against the ground.

If she hadn't stopped herself, though, Sokka would have ran towards her with the intent of cushioning her fall. She was clearly a victim of deep depression, even if she succeeded in hiding it for all this time; Sokka had actually thought she was trying to put an end to her life when she had lifted herself upwards in that manner. But she wasn't a quitter; she wasn't going to give up on living just yet. There were so many things she wanted to do, so many wishes that maybe could still come true someday…

She stopped emitting fire from her hands and she landed on the ground on her knees. The magnificent fire exhibition was over now, and all there was left of it was her broken soul, wondering what could have happened if things had been different that day, if she had been crowned before her brother had arrived… Tears streamed down from her eyes at the thought. How ridiculous. She knew there had been no other way, Zuko had been meant to beat her anyway; she had been falling to pieces, she would have led the Fire Nation into a mess if she'd taken control of it while on the terrible mental state she'd been in. She shook her head, trying to stop the tears from falling. It was too late for regrets now, it was all in the past already…

Sokka stared at her, impressed by all he'd been able to witness. Not only did he watch the most dazzling display of firebending he'd ever seen… he had also gotten to see a completely different side of Azula. A part of him wished to run towards her now and hold her as she cried… but luckily there was still such thing as common sense within his head. He watched her for just a while longer before turning back, knowing he had to keep his distance now. If Azula knew he'd seen this, she'd probably make sure he'd never see anything ever again.

She didn't notice him at all, even when his footsteps weren't completely silent. Sokka walked inside the Palace once again without heading towards a particular direction this time. He was still clutching the scrolls, lost in thought while he repeated in his mind the scene he'd just witnessed; he leaned against a wall and dropped to the floor without much thought, completely lost within his own mind…

Truth to be told, he'd never even wanted to know if there was someone else below the covers; he'd never cared to find out since Azula had always been creepy and evil, shooting lightning bolts at his feet to make him jump in terror or saying manipulative and malicious words at him. She had always been unapproachable, the kind of person you're better off running from… But only now did he understand why she had become so aloof, so cruel… Because she didn't want to let anyone see that, deep down, she was just a wounded girl who felt incredibly lonely.

It was more than obvious that she needed help, she needed someone to guide her into leaving her past behind so that she could face the future properly; but who could do it? Who would even want to do it? Azula was ruthless and mean, trying to get closer to her would be pointless, she'd shun him away in a matter of seconds with her fierce words, and if he managed to break through the shield of arrogance and superiority, he'd probably end up facing her magnificent but dangerous blue fire… How was he supposed to crack through all those layers of lies and denials when he probably wouldn't be able to defend himself while at it? He'd have to be immortal to start thinking about going up to Azula without fearing her powers… And even if he were immortal, he would still be unsure if he should go up to her or not.

"What are you doing there, Sokka?" asked Zuko, walking up to him. Sokka had been too deep in thought to even notice Zuko as he strolled down the hall in his direction.

"Z-Zuko!" he said, jumping up in surprise "N-nothing, I wasn't doing anything at all!"

"You were sitting on the floor looking dazed… are you okay?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow

"Sure! I'm all good!" insisted Sokka, grinning happily and doing his best to look cheerful and calm

"If you say so" muttered Zuko "What are you doing with those scrolls? Did you find anything useful?"

"What…? Oh, right! Yes, I found something awesome!" he said, opening the scroll and showing it to Zuko "I'm sure this is proof of me being related to the Royal Family of the Northern Water Tribe!"

"You said you were what, vermin?" asked another voice, approaching them

Sokka's heart skipped a beat when he heard the voice of the Fire Nation Princess, who seemed to have fixed her appearance instantly. Her hair was tied up again and she had her armor on top of the training clothes she had been wearing before. To Sokka's surprise, there was no trace of the breakdown he'd seen her go through only a few minutes ago, not even her eyes looked puffy and red after crying...

"I… I'm…" muttered Sokka clumsily, to Azula's surprise

"Is something wrong with you, vermin? A Cat-Owl got your tongue?" she asked, mockingly

"Of course not…" muttered Sokka, frowning at her.

"Too bad" she said "I'll go find one, it'd be good if one actually did eat it at some point; you would finally spare me of your foolishness"

"HEY!" yelled Sokka, losing his temper as he saw her smirking. But what he'd just witnessed came back to his head and he calmed down surprisingly quickly

"Sokka?" said Zuko, surprised not to see his friend returning Azula's verbal blows

"No, no one got my tongue" he said, ignoring Zuko completely as he looked at the Princess straight into her eyes "But I found something you might want to take a look at. It's something that might prove I'm related to the Royal Family of the Northern Water Tribe"

Azula seemed surprised at the serious reply from Sokka, which was the only reason why she felt compelled to take the scrolls he offered up to her. She scanned them and read the relevant information only to chuckle and stare at Sokka in disbelief

"That this man had a boomerang is no proof whatsoever, vermin" she said "But even if you were actually related to them, it wouldn't change anything. You don't have the demeanor of a real prince; therefore you won't ever make me consider you one, no matter if your bloodline says otherwise"

"So… there's no way you'll stop calling me vermin?" asked Sokka

"Exactly" said Azula "Unless you want me to return to peasant, of course…"

Sokka sighed and shook his head

"I'll have you acknowledge me one day; I'll make sure of it"

Azula frowned. Normally she'd just laugh at his claims and criticize him roughly, but for some reason, he was taking her seriously, challenging her as if he truly believed he could defeat her.

"Sounds like you're defying me for no reason, vermin" she said, staring at him coldly "And I don't suggest you do so. You'll regret it eventually"

"Hopefully, I won't" said Sokka, still as serious as ever.

Azula shot him a murderous look and threw the scroll back at him brusquely before walking away without another word. Zuko stared at his sister as she sped down the corridor and looked back at Sokka, whose eyes were fixated upon Azula until she finally took a corner and was out of sight.

"What's going on here?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow

"W-what? What's going on where?" asked Sokka, returning to his usual self now

"You were serious and steady while dealing with Azula" said Zuko, folding his arms "That's not like you, Sokka"

"I just… thought I shouldn't let her get away with everything, and opposing her was the best way to do it" he lied, smiling clumsily

"Really?" asked Zuko, distrustful

"Honestly!"

"Sokka… I might be looking too deeply into this, but let me finish before cutting me through with denials, okay?" said Zuko

"Uh… sure, but… what's going through your head, Zuko?" Sokka asked, staring at his friend in confusion

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to get too involved with Azula, be it in whichever way it is" said Zuko

"Huh?! Me, involved with your sister?! Come on, that's ridiculous!" said Sokka, laughing Zuko's suggestion off

"You said you'd keep quiet, didn't you?" grunted Zuko, staring at Sokka with annoyance

"Oh… right" said Sokka "G-go ahead, though I think you're crazy anyway…"

"You said you hated her only a couple of days ago" muttered Zuko "So I'm thinking you're either trying to get closer to her only because you want revenge for all she's done to you, or you're seriously trying to get to her good side just because you're sick of the way she treats you and want to change this for the better. But whatever you want to do is futile, so don't do anything irrational, please…"

"Why can't I do either of those things?" asked Sokka, frowning. Truth to be told, he needed another person's point of view before doing anything rash

"Because she's been through enough already for you to add more disappointments to her life if you get closer to her only to betray her afterwards" said Zuko

"Uhm… and what's the problem with the second one?" asked Sokka, innocently

"The second one should be obvious already!" yelled Zuko

"S-sure it is!" said Sokka, surprised at Zuko's outburst "I just… wanted to know if you had another reason! That's all there is to it!"

Zuko stared at his friend with serious concern in his eyes, wondering what exactly was going through his mind. He knew Sokka was quite complex at times, and he was quite the genius when he wanted to be, but getting involved with Azula would be the worst move he could make, and he should know it by now. Still, he could do nothing other than warn him. It was up to Sokka to listen to him or not…

"Try to keep as much distance with Azula as possible, alright?" said Zuko "She could wreck you up in a second if she merely tries to. So… stay away from her, okay?"

"Yeah, okay…" said Sokka "This is a little weird though. It sounds as if you were the overprotective older brother and you thought I was going to take your little sister away from you or something"

"Stop the nonsense, Sokka" said Zuko "You know why I'm saying this, and it's mostly for your good, not hers"

"Okay, okay, I was only joking!" said Sokka, raising his arms in the air in signal of rendition "I'll go put these scrolls back now, okay?"

Zuko nodded and watched Sokka go while wondering what the boy's last words had meant. Was Sokka really thinking of pursuing Azula? Surely it was quite the thrilling adventure, trying to make the powerful princess fall for him and snatching her away from the Fire Nation in a dramatic escape or such… but Sokka surely knew better than that, right? After all, he had a girlfriend! He wasn't going to jeopardize his relationship only because of Azula… was he?

_Common sense matters not to the god that ties the red string around the lovers' fingers. Logic is irrelevant; the god can see beyond the stubbornness of humans and guides them through the path that will lead them to each other._


	3. 3: Stranger

Writing down documents for the nobles and the army wasn't an activity Zuko enjoyed. He had always liked calligraphy, but writing so much annoyed anyone, and with a temper as short as his, it was natural he'd get sick of it quickly. But that wasn't the only thing bothering him right now...

"Hey, Zuko..." muttered Sokka, with a vague tone on his voice

"What?" grunted the Fire Lord

Sokka relented, unsure of how to pose his question… and so he merely shook his head in denial and sighed

"It's nothing, never mind..." he said, angering his friend

"Darn, Sokka!" he yelled "It's the fifth time you've said the same thing! What do you want?! Say it already!"

They were in the Fire Lord's particular office, and while Zuko was working hard, Sokka was merely lying down on a couch, tossing his boomerang and catching it as it came back down to him. And, just as Zuko had said, he'd been asking the same phrases once every few minutes, toying with his friend's patience until he couldn't stand it anymore.

"It's nothing, forget it! You're so stingy!" said Sokka, frowning and pouting

"Sokka, if you call me and tell me to forget it one more time, I'm kicking you out to the streets!" said Zuko "So just say it already!"

"W-well…" muttered the Water Tribe boy, insecure, but he finally decided to jump into the water, metaphorically, at least "… do you know, by any chance, any reason why your sister would cry…?"

Zuko sighed and looked at his friend with notorious irritation

"You're really trying to get back at her, aren't you?"

"W-what? Of course not!" he said, shaking his head "That's what you got from my question? Man, you just love jumping to conclusions, don't you?"

"Why else would you ask that?" frowned Zuko

"W-well... for educational and researching purposes!" said Sokka, nodding while trying to appear wise

"Oh, really?" said Zuko, distrustful

"Really!" insisted Sokka "See? This is why I didn't want to tell you anything! I knew you'd take it the wrong way!"

"Oh, fine! I'll believe you!" said Zuko, exasperated "Well... in all honesty, I don't know what would make her cry. She cried back when Katara chained her... but I guess those were tears of despair and helplessness"

"Back then she cried because you and Katara had taken away everything she wanted" said Sokka, sitting up "Do... do you think she's still bitter about it now?"

"She might be" said Zuko "But I think she's already given up on all those things now"

"Maybe she has..." agreed Sokka, looking at the roof. If that was the case, why would she cry nowadays?

"Why do you want to know, Sokka?" asked Zuko "What are those... educational purposes you were talking about?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really..." he lied, but the way Zuko glared at him made him gulp and decide to admit the truth... or, at least, a small bit of it "See, I was just thinking about her personality. She's got layers, I think, and I was wondering what was beneath all of them..."

"You seem to have thought this through, haven't you?" asked Zuko "What kind of layers does she have, then, since you understand her so well?"

"I'll pretend there was no sarcasm in your words, Fire Lord" said Sokka, spiteful "Azula always uses cruel remarks and devilish jabs, and she messes with a person's head until they can't take it anymore. But if you manage to withstand and even counter her statements, you'll make it to layer two. The second layer is her aggressive side, she'll use more insulting words in an attempt to prove her superiority in a much more serious way, and if that won't do, she'll use her bending to get her way and prove her strength with it, to teach a lesson to the person who was smart enough to break through her first two barriers. She might even go as far as killing to prove herself and to get the hindrance out of her way, I think..."

"What if she's defeated?" asked Zuko, folding his arms "If her opponent is stronger and better than she is, and he beats down her second layer... what happens then?"

"That's... what I've been wondering all along" admitted Sokka "I honestly have no clue if there's a third layer after that, or if her core lies after only two barriers..."

"Maybe the next layer is indifference" said Zuko, shrugging "She'd probably lock up within herself to push away anyone who'd try to approach her"

"You think?" asked Sokka, surprised

"It's what happened back when she was defeated…" said Zuko "Her madness wasn't as much as a mental breakdown as it was a mental lockdown. After crying and screaming, she merely locked herself inside her head, she barely ever responded to anything she heard. It was as if her mind was on another place… I had gone to visit her from time to time, but I saw no improvements whatsoever… but suddenly, one day, she was back to her usual self. Don't ask me what happened to her, or why did she return to who she used to be, but all of sudden, she was Azula again"

"So if that's layer three…" said Sokka, thoughtful "It means that once she's managed to patch both the higher layers, she returns to normal?"

"Who knows?" said Zuko, shrugging "Besides, I'm only giving out theories. I might be completely wrong"

"I guess you could be" said Sokka "But it could make some sense, after all…"

"Sokka, why on earth are you so interested in her all of sudden?" asked Zuko "I've only warned you off, but to tell you the truth, I just don't get it. Why?"

"W-why?" repeated Sokka, surprised "W-well… why? I… I don't really know. I just… I guess I just figured there was more to her than what met the eye!"

"Why?" asked Zuko, frowning "What made you think there could be more to her than just her evil intentions? You'd never cared about looking deep into any matters… You're a logical, direct and no-nonsense kind of guy… so, why? Why, if you'd never be swayed by anything you can't see, you've been moved to find the truth behind Azula's attitude?"

"W-well, I..." staggered Sokka, trying to find any way to excuse himself "I guess I just figured she couldn't be as perfect as she always claims to be..."

"You think she's perfect?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow

"I... I do it in the same way you do!" said Sokka, flushing a little "Y-you always say she's perfect and flawless, don't you?"

"When I say it I make it perfectly clear that I'm bitter about it" said Zuko, staring at Sokka with distrust "You made it sound like you were truly concerned about who she is... in fact, it seems to me like you really are trying to find the real Azula, and that's a very dangerous game to play, Sokka"

"I won't get myself in any real trouble, stop being so serious and over-protective with your sister..." said Sokka, acting as carefree as ever as he flashed a confident smile and let himself collapse on the couch once again.

Zuko stared at him with mild distrust, but he sighed and continued with his work. Sokka, on the other hand, wasn't as careless upon this matter as his friend was. He lay on the couch while wondering why did he care so much about discovering the real Azula... he had seen her magnificent display a few days earlier, and he'd been stunned by it, but wanting to find out more about her only because of what he'd witnessed she could do made no sense whatsoever... or so he thought. Did it make some sense after all, wanting to know the Princess better...? No, it didn't! Of course it didn't! But if that was the case... why couldn't he get her off his head? In truth, all he had been able to think of during these days was Azula... He needed to get her out of his head! He couldn't spend the rest of his life thinking about her! He had to get his mind off of things for a while...

"So... what do you want to do today, Zuko?" he asked, as innocently as possible as he tried to hide his interest in his friend's sister

"I have to deal with all these documents, Sokka" said Zuko, focusing on the paper sheet in front of him "If you really have nothing else of importance to say, then you should go walk around the palace or something, but I can't waste time today"

"Seriously…?" asked Sokka, disappointed "No time at all?"

"No, none" replied Zuko "You'll have to entertain yourself in some other way"

"Well, fine, I guess I will!" said Sokka, getting off the couch. It was better for him to go out and do something rather than spending his time in his seat while thinking about the Fire Princess non-stop.

"What are you going to do?" asked Zuko, raising an eyebrow

"No clue" said Sokka, even though a mischievous aura was clearly surrounding him "I'll make it up as I go! See you, Zuko!"

Zuko sighed as he watched his friend leave. He had a bad feeling about letting Sokka waltz around the palace without any vigilance whatsoever…

Sokka left the room and stood in the hall while scratching his head. What could he do in the Palace for now? Truth to be told, he didn't enjoy his stay at the place as much as he enjoyed dropping by at Republic City or at the South Pole. He got bored easily in the Fire Nation, the warriors were really boring to talk to, the firebenders were somewhat intimidating and his friend Zuko was always busy with his Fire Lord duties. He'd like to walk around the town to take a closer look at the Capital's features, but most the people who lived here were stuck-up, proud and extremely self-involved, they weren't much fun to be around, since they were the richest of the Fire Nation…

He sighed and looked around, folding his arms. If he didn't find something to do, he'd end up thinking about Azula yet again… and now he thought about it, she was prone to show up out of nowhere as usual, just to try to annoy him as she always did… But, actually, he hadn't seen her since he stood up for himself right after seeing her incredible display of firebending in the Coronation Temple and Plaza. Was she avoiding him now? Or maybe she was busy trying to get back at him somehow after fighting back effectively against her jabs…

Damn it! He was thinking about her again! Why, why, why?! Why couldn't he get her out of his head?! He stomped on the floor in anger and walked while still battling with his mind as he attempted to shun Azula away from his thoughts. He was so angry he was even starting to feel hungry… A smile spread across his features as a bright idea cleared his head completely: the kitchen staff had enjoyed quite a long period of peace; it was time to end it and crown himself Public Enemy Number One!

With a smile on his face, he strutted towards his destination with complete confidence, but he stopped halfway there. He needed a game plan! Yes, he needed some time to think about what he had to do…

First, he needed a distraction. What sort of bait could he throw at them? Something catastrophic had to happen, something they couldn't fix immediately… What about breaking the dishes? It sounded good, but surely there were stacks of cutlery and more tableware ready in case any emergency happened… Well, easy! He'd just break them all! But… he had no idea of where they were stacked…

As he walked in circles while trying to make some sense out of what to do, he suddenly realized there was a door ajar on the hall… which made very little sense. This was the Fire Nation's Royal Palace, there were no such things here as half-open doors…

He approached it with the intention of closing it, but his curiosity got the best of him. Why, indeed…? Maybe there was someone inside? Besides, which room was this one? He didn't even remember it at all… He frowned and took a peak as he put his hand on the handle, thinking about closing it after not finding anything interesting…

It was only a regular room, one meant for stocking up items and scrolls, old games nobody was using, furniture and more… but there actually was someone inside.

He froze on his spot as he stared in awe, completely confused.

Sitting on a red couch in front a long and old wooden table, was the ferocious and cruel Princess Azula…

Crying.

Crying.

Why was she crying? Sokka stared, completely dumbfounded, as he saw her shoulders shaking softly with each sob, her hair down once again in that mild disarray. In only three days he'd seen her crying TWICE?! He'd been sure she had no such thing as feelings right before this, so what on earth was going on here?! How could the proud and selfish Princess Azula be pouring out her tears like this, in complete loneliness, for no reason at all?!

Well… Sokka didn't know any reason why she'd cry, but it didn't mean she didn't have motives to do so. He'd seen her in tears only three days ago, right after her small firebending session, and ever since he'd wanted to know why would she weep, thinking it was something related to the place she'd been in, or to her frustrations in life... but he had been sure she still spent most her time plotting revenges and scams against her enemies, and that breakdown had happened only because all her disappointment had bottled up and she couldn't take it anymore. Now he saw her crying again, he was completely sure there was much more to the girl than what met the eye. She was broken, shattered, even… and somehow, he actually felt compelled to help her in any way possible… but how? How could he help her? How could he stop her tears if he didn't even know why was she crying in the first place?

There was a burden on her shoulders, he could understand this now. She only put on that façade of arrogance and cruelty to send away anyone who might dare try to look into her soul just a little bit… She was proud, too proud, to ever even think of admitting that, deep down, all she wanted was a helping hand, someone who actually cared enough about her to stand by her and ensure she wouldn't feel lonely anymore…

Sokka opened his eyes wide upon his realization: not only was he baffled by what he'd understood, but he was actually even thinking about being that one person who'd stick to her and help her out of her misery! What was wrong with him?! He couldn't do it! She'd burn him to a crisp before he could even say 'I'm on your side now!'

But seeing her in such a dreadful state… he just wanted to find a way to stop her from crying. Anything would work, anything… he dismissed immediately the thought of walking away to ignore her tears, as if he hadn't witnessed anything; he couldn't think this way anymore. He just wanted to show her that even if the entire world had turned away from her, he would stay by her side…

By the side of the incredibly dangerous and deadly Fire Princess. What was wrong with him?! There definitely was something off about him! The worst part was this struggle within his very soul, his impulsive side was begging him to run to her; his logical and self-preserving side wanted him to run away as quickly as possible and forget about what he'd seen… But he knew he couldn't forget it, no matter how hard he tried. So… was he supposed to walk in that room and pat her on the back, just like that? Of course not!

He couldn't deny it; he was frightened on his spot. He had to make a choice: walk inside or run away. But how could he even choose? If he did the first, she'd kill him: if he did the second, he'd never forgive himself… what did he prize more, his life or his pride?

With a small tilt of his head, he acknowledged he'd rather live in shame than die at her hands, and he made his choice… but he happened to forget he was holding the doorknob as he pulled away, and he opened the door slightly, to his dismay… and the old door just happened to creak noisily as he pulled it…

His bad luck would never ever cease to amaze him. Surely, if he'd thought he'd enter the room, this wouldn't have happened, right…?

And now… now he knew what was coming. He'd face her wrath, of course he would…

The Princess's heart skipped a beat the second she heard the door's noise. Her eyes widened and the last tears ran down her face as she jumped off the couch and turned towards the doorway…

She couldn't do anything other than stare in horror as she saw the least expected person standing by the door, with an incredibly guilty expression in his face.

"Y-you…" she said, terrified. He'd seen her. He'd seen her. The peasant, the pest, the vermin… he'd run into her on her most vulnerable state. This couldn't end well.

"I…" he muttered, surprised at seeing she was also surprised! But truth to be told, he had no idea of how to excuse his behavior at all…

"Y-you…. You!" she repeated. The surprise in her eyes turned to hatred in a matter of seconds as her hands set ablaze with her blue fire "H-how c-could you just…?! HOW DARED YOU…?!"

"I didn't mean to…!" Sokka tried to excuse himself, but she sent a punch at him immediately, and a fire blast nearly smashed him against the door

"LEAVE! GET OUT OF HERE NOW, YOU DAMNED PEASANT!" she yelled, shooting more and more fistfuls of fire at him

"I'm sorry!" said Sokka, as he avoided the blasts…

… Which weren't half as strong as usual. He looked at her, and he was surprised to see her stance wasn't powerful and secure, even when her punches seemed to be so solid and well-prepared. His eyes met hers…

And he saw fear.

She was afraid of him. Afraid of what he'd do if he ever dared talk about what he'd seen, afraid of how he'd treat her now he'd seen the real Azula…

And she saw he was afraid too. Afraid she'd destroy him after finding out her secret hiding place, afraid she'd snap and lose control of her powers as she tried to push him away from her…

What would he do now? What could he do, other than avoid her fire blasts to the best of his ability? Run away, as he'd planned to do? She'd end up crying again, wouldn't she? And she'd probably try to kill him in his sleep as soon as she returned to her usual self after this emotional drain… He had to avoid that at all costs. He had to do something, anything…

And so, to her utter surprise, and also his, rather than jumping back, he jumped forward.

Still avoiding fire blasts, Sokka frowned and leaped inside the room. Azula stared at him in complete horror. What was he going to do to her? What could he do to her, in the first place? Stop her from firing at him and force her to submit to him? Blackmail her in some manner?

The thought horrified her; she grimaced with even further fright as she shot even stronger fire blasts. Sokka couldn't avoid them all, especially in close range, but the burns weren't as painful as he thought they would be. He kept moving forward, making her panic even more than before, and making her fire even more deadly, but still he would not stop until he finally reached her…

And pulled her close to him, knocking over her stance completely as he embraced her in a way she'd never ever been embraced before. She was in absolute shock at first; she was sure he'd lunge at her hands and blackmail her cruelly as he pinned her to the ground, or maybe he'd attack her with a hidden weapon and kill her before she finished him off… but this? A hug? What the hell was going on with this stupid peasant?!

"L-Let me go… LET ME GO NOW!" she yelled, pushing him away, but he refused to relent.

"No" he muttered, holding her even closer "I won't let you go"

"Let go already, you bastard!" she said, her hands blazing in an azure and dangerous glow

"I'm not going to let you go" he said, completely serious

"LET GO! LET GO NOW!" said Azula, enraged. Her hands caught fire immediately, and she punched him repeatedly, burning his clothes and skin. He flinched, but his grip on her body wouldn't grow fainter.

She continued attacking him, terrified. No one had ever dared touch her like this before, no peasant had ever even dared engage in physical contact with her without her express authorization. As far as she knew, this particular insolent and stupid peasant was no different than the others, although he seemed to hate her more. Why would he bother embracing her if he loathed her as badly as he did? Was he trying to appeal to her loneliness? Was he trying to kill himself so that she'd end up taking the blame later on? Why would any man ever even try to touch her?!

Her strikes became weaker as she tried to make sense out of the situation. Sokka felt incredible amounts of pain, but he still stood his ground, holding her closely as her blazes diminished both in size and strength. No man would care enough… no man should care enough… but why did he care? Why was he hugging her rather than running away? Was it because he'd seen her and he understood how lonely she was?

Suddenly, her punches had no coating of fire. She still kept hitting him, but each punch was weaker than the one before. Her head was tilted down, she couldn't even meet his eyes as she started to think of other possibilities… could he actually be concerned about her? Could he?

Even if he wasn't… she could pretend he was. Somehow… it would just make reality much more bearable.

She stopped attacking, and her eyes filled with tears again. Her depression stung her yet again; her sorrow flooded her soul in a matter of seconds as she remembered there would never be anyone for her, at least, not for real. This peasant… he had either been smart enough to read through her and he understood what she needed perfectly, or he was so stupid he had no idea of what was he doing, but he was merely hoping that, somehow, she'd calm down in his arms…

To her own dismay, though, she played right into his hand. She lost her strong, powerful and intimidating mask once again, she couldn't hide her real self anymore. He'd seen her, and he hadn't run away… the least she could do was make use of the ruddy peasant while he was there, and try to find some comfort and ease in his arms…

Most of the front of his shirt had been burned, his skin was also showing a very awful red color, but she didn't register any of that, and neither did he. Sokka kept looking at her, wondering why she had stopped punching him… and he couldn't hide his surprise when she let her head fall on his chest as she clung onto the remnants of his shirt.

"W-what…?" he said, amazed

No fire struck his torso anymore. Instead, tears streamed down his body. She hung onto him with despair, as if losing sight of who she was, of what she was. She was letting her essence be free, and she wasn't even thinking about what she was doing. All she could do was let out all her sadness and sorrow, using him as her support. She fell on her knees, still holding the drapes of cloth as she pulled him down with her, ensuring he'd stick with her even if he didn't want to do so.

And to Sokka, this was the least expected course of action that could've happened. He had planned on hugging her until she calmed down, and then he'd promise her he would never tell anyone about this… but she was actually crying again, and now she was crying on his chest… could she hear the beats of his heart, pounding through his chest wildly? A small blush crept on his cheeks, but the depth of the moment stopped him from acting as he always did: careless, clumsy and thoughtless. He just tried to register what was happening, but deep down, he knew he'd never understand it at all; it was too confusing and surreal to be true.

And so he held her as she vented out all her emotions, all her frustration, all her anger… he just kept her close to him, assuring her that every single tear she was shedding wasn't a waste. He was there, and maybe he didn't understand her pain, but he was willing to let her share it with him for as long as she needed his support. He raised one of his hands and caressed her hair gently, surprising her with his unexpected movement. Why did he bother doing something like this? He was only meant to be her handkerchief, all she needed him to do was hold her as she cried, but no one ever asked him to touch her hair kindly, as if he actually was doing this because he wanted to…

Did he want to? Was he actually… worried about her? Were his actions led by real affection? She was sure she had forced him to hold her as she wept, but… had he actually wanted to hold her in his arms like this?

It would be the first time anyone showed her any kindness in more than a decade. She didn't know if he was merely being generous, but it still was more than she deserved, more than she expected…

She finally dared to look into his eyes, raising her head slowly as he still touched her hair in that caring manner. Azula still looked at him with slight fright, but with more confusion than anything else. His blue eyes didn't show dread or panic anymore, to her utter surprise. He was merely holding her, as if she were a close friend or such, as if he truly wanted to comfort her…

Sokka stared down at her, amazed by how beautiful she was even in such disarray. The look in her eyes was that of a lost and confused child, who was unsure if her actions were worthy of praise or punishment… and she seemed afraid, still. He wanted to erase that doubt from her face… He just had to do something, anything…

Azula's eyes widened even more as she saw him move even closer to her. His face was only inches away from hers. Was he doing what it seemed he was doing? Was this boy actually going to dare do something nobody on his right mind ever would…?

When his lips brushed against hers, she knew she had been right; he really had dared kiss her. Why? Why would anyone ever want to kiss her? Why should anyone kiss her? She didn't force him to! So… why? Sokka had even closed his eyes as he tried to transfer his calm towards her with the contact; he mesmerized her with his absolutely unforeseen actions… why? There could be no reason to justify his behavior… Or could there? Could it be… that he actually, truly cared about her?

She knew she could only be kidding herself with such belief, but it seemed the only way she could explain his actions for now… And, in all honesty, his kiss was much better than she would've ever expected it to be. Much better than Chan's, actually… Because, back then, it didn't even mean a thing. This time… it meant the world to her.

It was the first time someone had ever shown any kind of affection towards her.

She didn't really know what she was doing by the moment she closed her eyes and leaned in for a deeper kiss, which Sokka accepted completely as he held her even closer. She clung onto him with desperation; he embraced her with kindness, calming her wild fire in his own way. They were locked together, feeling closer to anyone than they had ever before, feeling a strange spark flowing between them. Something strange was happening, something Azula had definitely never felt, something Sokka might have felt before, but in much smaller magnitude…

Slowly, her ferocious ways were soothed by his gentle actions. He held her close with such care, one hand pulling her closer while holding her by the waist, the other on the back of her head, his fingers intertwined with her hair. She had barely been touching him at first, but she didn't even register then moment in which she lifted her hands to stroke his face as she kissed him back, leaving behind all her sadness as she allowed herself to be swayed by his unexpected ways…

The magical kiss was only broken when they were both desperate for air. They panted, their foreheads still linked together as they took deep breaths, their hearts racing at full speed after such incredible display of affection they never knew they felt for each other. Sokka looked at her, wondering how she was faring after he lunged in to kiss her. He'd half expected her to stab him with more fire blows after he did something so crazy, but she had let him get away with the kiss without any objection whatsoever. She didn't even dare look at him straight in the eye, too embarrassed with her response at his advances to return to her usual self; Sokka could see a mild blush on her cheeks now, something he'd never witnessed before. But the one thing that made him cast away his worries and concerns was realizing she wasn't crying or scared anymore.

To Azula's surprise, he hugged her closely again, making her head rest on his chest once again. She was flustered by this movement yet again, she still didn't have the courage to stare at him in the eye, but she let him hold her without complaining at all. She was trying to understand what had just happened, and how it had happened, but it was useless, it made no sense. All she could do was forget about the reasons and just rest calmly on his chest for now. She felt so safe and warm in his embrace that it was even absurd, but she didn't pull away, despite her pride was yelling at her to push Sokka off and ensure her image hadn't crumbled completely… but she knew it was too late for that. He'd seen the real Azula now, the one beneath all the lies and masks…

And he'd kissed her. How on earth had he done something so absurd?! She finally managed to focus her gaze on his skin… and now she noticed his tan color had been marked by several red burns on his abdomen. She had burned him badly, she could see that now, but he didn't seem to remember it at all… was he crazy? He needed medical assistance as quickly as possible! But… she didn't know what to do to tend to his burns… she couldn't help him now. But if he didn't do something about it, he'd end up in even worse shape.

"Y-you… y-you should leave now" said Azula, surprising herself at the strangely soft tone of her voice.

Sokka stared at her in dismay. He didn't want to leave her, but… how could he even stay? What would he do? What could he say? He had no excuse for his behavior… It really might be better if he walked away now before she could grasp everything that had happened and decided to punish him for his deeds.

Azula pulled away from him, careful not to touch any of his burns. She stared at his torso in awe, wondering why he had let her burn him like this, and why hadn't he turned around and fled as quickly as he could…

Sokka looked at her, worried. Would she be alright? He hoped so… but he couldn't do anything for her anymore. They surely would have to talk about what had happened later, but for now, he really had to leave. He sighed and stood up; she didn't even flinch as he moved away from her. With one last look at the Fire Nation Princess, Sokka sighed again and turned around, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

He only managed to walk a few steps away from the door before leaning against the wall while trying to understand what he'd done. He'd kissed the fearsome woman, he had actually dared to something that stupid… but she hadn't even driven him away, so… did it mean she really just wanted someone to love her, even if it was just for a few minutes?

Suddenly, he became aware of the stinging burns on his abdominal region, and he grimaced at the pain. He needed a doctor right away.

As he walked towards the Royal Family's personal doctor's room, he realized he'd confirmed two facts with his absurd endeavor of the day: the first was that there was no such thing as layer three; right beneath the wild and violent side of the princess laid the core of her very soul, just as he had thought it did.

The second realization, though, wasn't as much educational as it was terrifying:

He had fallen in love with the Fire Princess.

_The first meeting may not be the one in which the power of the string will be set in motion, but it marks the beginning of the story between the lovers, a story of undying and eternal love._


	4. 4: Thread

A loud noise woke Sokka with a start the next morning. Someone was banging the room's door nonstop, to his absolute annoyance.

"Master Sokka!" said the voice of a servant of the Palace "Fire Lord Zuko demands your presence!"

The Water Tribe teenager frowned and groaned. He felt tempted to pretend he was deaf just to get out of an annoying meeting with Zuko… why did Zuko want to see him in the first place? He'd been staying around for about two weeks and not even once had the Fire Lord expressed any wish or need to see him at all… why summon him now, when he was resting peacefully among bandages and soft sheets?

Maybe… because he'd found out about what had happened between him and Azula.

The thought terrified him and forced him to get off of bed as fast as possible. He had to explain things to Zuko, it wasn't as bad as it had seemed! And if he was worried about his wounds, he shouldn't be! He'd been the one to put himself in the line of fire rather than running away, so it wasn't Azula's fault, he had earned those burns!

He limped all the way to his closet as he looked for the quickest set of clothes he could wrap himself in, but there wasn't much for him to wear that could cover up the bandages that ran all over his abdomen and some of his chest. To his utter embarrassment and distaste, he found himself taking a long red robe with golden embroidery on its edges, typical Fire Nation clothing. He hated wearing anything other than Water Tribe clothes, but it was unavoidable in this case; the red-and-gold robe was the one thing he could actually wear that might cover properly his wounds…

"Master Sokka!" kept calling the servant outside, to his utmost irritation

"I'm coming! Wait a second!" he yelled as he tied the robe a little too tight, hurting his burns "DAMN!"

"E-excuse me, sir, but I wasn't sure if you were listening…" said the servant, afraid Sokka had complained because of his pestering

"Uh… w-well, you woke me up!" he said, trying to act as natural as possible as he walked to the door, doing his best to walk properly while masking the agonic pain he felt on each wound on his upper body

"I apologize, Master Sokka" said the man, bowing down at him, to Sokka's surprise

"Master?" he said "Why am I master, if I can ask?"

"You're the Fire Lord's friend! It's a title for any friend of the Fire Lord!" said the servant

"Right… why did he call me, again?" asked Sokka, as the servant began leading the way

"He didn't say" muttered the servant "He only tasked me to bring you to the Palace's front gate, I don't know anything about his reasons…"

"I see…" muttered Sokka, and he gulped. Maybe Zuko wanted him on the front gate to kick him out of the Palace for daring to touch his little sister…

They were silent all the way to their destination, and Sokka was lucky enough that the servant was surprisingly careless, so he didn't ask once about the grimaces of pain he showed once in a while, whenever the burns stung him too painfully to bear with a straight face.

When they finally arrived, the servant bowed and left. Sokka walked carefully towards the front gate and walked through it, terrified at the thought of what awaited him…

And that which awaited him was a worse blow than having Zuko banish him from the Fire Nation.

A group of girls clad in green clothes and dark grey armors stood around Zuko, who was smiling kindly at all the new arrivals to the Palace. Sokka's eyes widened with horror now… he had completely forgotten the reason why he'd come all the way to the Capital in the first place.

"Oh, there he is!" said Zuko after spotting him, smiling broadly "You'll finally stop being so bored, huh, Sokka?" he asked, grinning

"He was bored?" said an old man, who was standing among the Kyoshi Warriors. His growing belly and joyous stance were enough to identify him from a distance "My nephew, how could you let a guest be bored in the Palace? That's unprecedented!"

"Sorry, Uncle…" said Zuko, shrugging "I was really busy, and Sokka showed up uninvited…"

One of the girls left the group the second she saw him, and she sprinted at him with a huge smile on her face. Sokka couldn't stop looking at her in dismay, wondering how on earth he could even think of facing his girlfriend after what he'd done so thoughtlessly the day before…

"I can't believe you're here!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly

Sokka did the best he could to swallow the scream he should have let out once he felt Suki's weight crashing against his wounds.

"M-me neither…" he muttered, almost reduced to tears due to the pain

Suki finally stepped away from him and stared at him with gentle eyes and a heart-warming smile… which only made Sokka feel even guiltier than he already did

"Why did you come all the way here, silly?" she asked, laughing

"I just… I wanted to see you" he said, smiling as he tried to make this moment less awkward than it was

"Well, you should've let me know you were coming! Or you could have sent Zuko a letter, so you wouldn't come here to waste time" she said, shrugging "It must have been quite annoying, wandering around the Palace without anything to do… With Zuko being busy all the time, with the kitchen staff hunting you down and with Azula insulting you all day long…"

The mere mention of her name caused a small blush to creep up to Sokka's cheeks, but he smiled happily at Suki and tried to mask it as if it were nothing but genuine happiness of seeing her again

"But you're here now, so that'll make everything better" he said "By the way… weren't you girls escorting an ambassador? Why is Iroh with you?"

"We dropped the ambassador at the colony, as we were supposed to do" explained Suki "But Iroh sent a message asking if we could all travel together to the Capital, and that's what we did… and that's the reason why I took so long to get here" she admitted

"Why did he want to come here?" asked Sokka, surprised "I was sure he'd be spending the rest of his life in his teashop unless something bad happened…"

"He just took a break, I think" said Suki, looking at Iroh, who was embracing Zuko and almost smashing his bones due to his powerful grip "I think he missed his nephew"

"It seems like he did" said Sokka, smiling

Suki turned back at Sokka and looked at him up and down, raising an eyebrow

"What's with the Fire Nation getup, Sokka? It doesn't look bad on you… but it's weird anyway!"

Sokka blushed and shrugged

"I… I was sleeping and a crazy servant nearly knocked the door down so that I'd come here to see you, but he didn't even bother telling me you were here! He just said Zuko had summoned me, and this robe was the only thing I could grab before I left…" he lied, exaggerating the events, as usual.

"Your bad luck will never ever cease to amaze me" said Suki, laughing "But I'm so glad to see you again… it's been too long…"

Sokka panicked when she closed him for another hug, but he had no idea of how to stop her from embracing him… and he didn't.

"Uh…" he moaned, to her surprise

"What's wrong, Sokka?" asked Suki, pulling away from him

"I'm… just hungry" he improvised, smiling with discomfort

"Oh, I should've known" she said, grinning and shaking her head "I could use with some food myself. Let's go get some breakfast"

"Sure!" said Sokka, as enthusiastically as he could, and he followed Suki while trying not to show how badly hurt he was, but in truth, each step he took was killing him.

The worst part in all this mess was that he didn't know how to explain the truth to Suki if she ever found out what had happened… What if Azula, on some sort of envious and cruel fit, decided to tell her about their strange momentary affair just to make him suffer more?

He needed to talk to the Princess as soon as possible.

…

The headache growing in the very center of her forehead was messing so badly with her concentration it didn't even seem like she was herself anymore. Azula shook her head and tried to keep her mind in check as she toyed with the fried crab that was lying on her plate, but she couldn't bring herself to take a bite out of her breakfast at all.

She didn't even feel like herself anymore, she was too confused and troubled to think properly and calmly about the latest happenings in her life. Only two days ago everything seemed perfect, all had gone without a hitch, but all of sudden, everything was upside down because of that blasted Water Tribe peasant… what was wrong with him?! How had he dared do something so ridiculous?!

And… how come has she let him do it? She flushed wildly at the thought, the touch of his lips still vivid in her mind…

She shook her head even more, hoping the headache would grow and ensure she couldn't even think of anything other than the pain, but it didn't go her way at all. She tried to focus on the particular spot on her forehead where it hurt the most, and she closed her eyes as she attempted to cool her mind down by erasing every thought from it aside from the tiny sting on her head…

"I knew I'd find you here!" said a cheerful girl, startling her and knocking her out of her almost meditative state.

"W-wha…?" she said, staring at the door. She hadn't been expecting anyone at all

Wearing her Kyoshi Warrior outfit, Ty Lee had walked in the room without Azula noticing her. She wasn't particularly gifted at stealth, but the Princess was so distracted she didn't have to try too hard to surprise her with her arrival

"Oh, Ty Lee!" said Azula, flashing her friend the most awkward and crooked smile Ty Lee had ever seen "Good day to you. I… I had no idea you were already here!"

"I… I just got here" said Ty Lee, frowning as she studied her friend closely "Are you okay, Azula?"

"I… why wouldn't I be?" she said, still beaming in that strange manner

"Maybe because you're smiling at me as you'd smile to a kid if you wanted to make him pee his pants and cry to his mom for help…" said Ty Lee sitting down next to Azula, who stopped smiling at once

"I… I wasn't smiling in any particular way…" muttered Azula, looking at her food now. Ty Lee followed her eyes down to the plate and frowned, completely surprised

"You haven't even touched your breakfast" she said, worried "Azula… is something going on?"

"Will you stop pestering me?" asked Azula, taking a bite out of the crab, to Ty Lee's shock

"Well, now I know something's wrong!" she said, impressed

"W-what?" said Azula "It's not as if I don't eat crab!"

"Oh, you eat crab, alright…" said Ty Lee, staring at the plate with concern "But you don't eat crab first! You always eat all your vegetables first, and you eat the meat afterwards… but you're doing it the wrong way around this time!"

"H-how do you even know what I eat first?!" asked Azula, shocked "Do you stalk me, by any chance?!"

"Azula, we've been friends for AGES" said Ty Lee, rolling her eyes "I realized you ate that way when we were about ten. Just how dumb do you think I am, huh?"

"I don't think you're dumb, Ty Lee. Why must you make a dramatic scene out of everything?" she said, finally sounding like herself "You're worse than Zuko"

"I think I know better than to take that personally" said Ty Lee, sighing "Well, what happened? Why won't you just say it?"

"There's nothing to say, Ty Lee" grunted Azula, but just thinking about what she was hiding caused a small blush to appear on her face

Ty Lee smirked and giggled at seeing her friend's flustered face, to Azula's dismay

"I knew it! You finally found someone to hook up with, didn't you?"

"Of course not!" denied Azula, still blushing "There's no way I would be with anyone, Ty Lee! You know better than to say such nonsense!"

"Oh, you say all those things, but your face is saying otherwise!" said Ty Lee, grinning happily

"Please, Ty Lee, just… don't" said Azula, sighing as she shook her head "I'm not in the mood to explain any of this right now…"

Ty Lee frowned, worrying for real. She had never seen Azula as troubled as she was right now. What on earth could have happened to her that caused such turmoil within her?

"Hey… You can tell me" she said, reaching out to touch her hand "We're friends, aren't we? Besides, I pester you all the time whenever I find an interesting guy, so… why don't you tell me about yours?"

"Because he's the most opposite of interesting that anyone could ever be" growled Azula "He's… he's the worst. I really don't want to talk about this, Ty Lee…"

"It might make you feel a little better" said Ty Lee "And I could give you advice if you want some…"

"Advice?" said Azula "Well… that doesn't sound so bad, but even so, talking about this is too uncomfortable for me…"

"Don't worry" said Ty Lee "I'll keep it to myself, I promise! You have nothing to be afraid of!"

Azula found herself looking at Ty Lee in slight despair. Could the girl actually hear her story without judging her? Well, it was Ty Lee after all… but she didn't wish for her image to fall apart completely, so maybe there were a few things she should skip over…

"I… I was in my private room, the one I tend to go to… to think about some matters of importance" she muttered, and Ty Lee nodded

"Your forbidden room, yes. So…?"

"So, when I was there, someone… opened the door" muttered Azula

"Was it a servant?" asked Ty Lee, raising an eyebrow

"No, I wish it had only been a servant" muttered Azula "I could have just kicked him out of the Palace for sneaking up on me… but it wasn't him. It was Zuko's stupid friend… that idiotic, moronic, useless and pathetic peasant"

"Sokka?" asked Ty Lee, surprised "W-why was he there?"

"How should I know?!" asked Azula "I told him to leave, but he wouldn't obey me, so I… I attacked him. I sent several fire blasts at him, and it wasn't easy for him to avoid them, but to my surprise, he didn't just dodge them… he started to move towards me. I thought he only meant to tackle me savagely to stop me from striking him, but eventually I even ended up burning him… and that still didn't stop him from… f-from…"

"From what?" asked Ty Lee, worried

"F-from… embracing me" muttered Azula, blushing "I… I didn't get it. I still don't get it. Why did he want to do something like that? Why did he even bother doing anything other than running away…?"

"Well… maybe he just wanted to be friends with you and he thought running wasn't an option" said Ty Lee, smiling with optimism

"He wanted to be FRIENDS?!" repeated Azula "That's ridiculous! It doesn't make any sense at all! If that had been the case, why on earth did he kiss me afterwards?!"

Ty Lee's eyes widened in horror after Azula's statement. The Princess stared at her friend in mild concern, wondering why she was so upset to know she had been kissed by that Water Tribe peasant

"S-Sokka… kissed you?" she said "W-why did he do that?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" said Azula, hitting the table in irritation "He's… he's just the worst. And I couldn't do anything… why didn't I do anything? He was clearly just taking advantage of me!"

"But… Sokka doesn't take advantage of people…" muttered Ty Lee, concerned "Why would he do something like this to Suki…?"

"Didn't you hear whom he kissed?" asked Azula, completely confused at first. Eventually, she understood what Ty Lee was so worried about "O-oh… well, that's true. He couldn't just forget about his nice and pretty girlfriend, could he? Oh, I must have been dreaming, then!" she concluded, smiling "Or… maybe… I'm just being delusional once more" she added, with a slightly dark tone

"I don't think you were delusional" said Ty Lee, still slightly sad "Your hallucinations were about your mother, weren't they? You had them because you had serious issues, you were afraid she had always thought you were a monster and she was a small ghost within your mind that tried to prove you wrong… You had those episodes of delusions because, deep down, that was a trauma that went back for ages… right?"

"I… I guess. Were you reading my psychological report? "asked Azula, a little annoyed

"I took it from Zuko's desk the other day" she admitted, with a guilty smile "Anyway… I don't think you'd have hallucinations about Sokka unless you had a trauma of about the same magnitude… and I'm sure you don't. I mean, you don't even like him, do you?"

"Like him? Please…" said Azula, rolling her eyes "He's just a stupid peasant. Don't even ask something so pointless, Ty Lee"

"Then… why would you have any delusions or dreams about him?" asked Ty Lee, raising an eyebrow "I believe both dreams and hallucinations are linked to your subconscious self… so if you're not interested in him in the slightest, you wouldn't dream or hallucinate about him"

"What you're saying actually makes sense" admitted Azula, to her dismay "So… it was real? It… it really happened?"

"I guess it did…" muttered Ty Lee. She felt profusely disappointed with Sokka now; she had always thought he was a perfectly nice guy, one who would stay by the side of the girl he loved and who'd be loyal to her forever… why would he fool around with someone as deadly as Azula while being with a wonderful girl like Suki?

"This is preposterous…" said Azula, shaking her head "How… how could it be real? It's impossible… Why would he even bother doing something like this…?"

"I don't know, Azula…" muttered Ty Lee "But don't look too far into this. Sokka has Suki, even if he forgot about it or something… but he's still involved in a relationship. All you should do is seek him out and press him to tell you why he did this… you should just talk it over and solve it so that you can both walk away calmly from this mess…"

"I don't think I'll ever get away from this calmly…" muttered Azula, with a sigh. That wretched peasant had played around with her carelessly, and if he ever dared do something like that to her again, she'd make sure he wouldn't live to see the light of another day…

_Confusion and distraction might make the lovers lose sight of who their most significant one is, but eventually, truth will out. The red thread of destiny ensures the true lovers will find each other one day._


	5. 5: Speak of the Devil

Sokka and Suki ate their breakfast on a small terrace in the Southern Wing of the Palace. He remained silent as he smiled at her stories of what she'd been doing while they were apart, mostly focusing on the Kyoshi Warrior's trip with the ambassador to the colony. She didn't fail to comment Ty Lee had been flirting more than she should have with the ambassador's son, who had happened to be married, but he never bothered telling her.

"She spent the rest of the trip depressed after finding out" said Suki, smiling "And when we finally were about to leave the colony, she yelled a few things at him, which embarrassed him completely in front of his wife, who had been waiting for him at the colony… I just have no idea of how does she get herself into such crazy situations…"

Sokka laughed as he took the last bite of his Komodo chicken. Suki grinned happily at him and stood up once she saw he had finished his breakfast, and Sokka frowned, confused

"Where are you going?" he asked

"Well, since we're both done eating I thought I'd go check out my new quarters" she said, grinning "Did you know Zuko built a small house for us, the Kyoshi Warriors? He was only halfway through when we left, but he told us it was finished already. I thought I should go unpack and settle down over there, do some laundry and such… You don't have to come with me if you don't want to" she added, after seeing the look on his face, which clearly said he would rather waste away for the entire day than go watch her do her chores.

"I… I can go, I'll go! We've been apart for too long!" he said, trying to sound supportive, but Suki shook her head

"I don't think I'll want you there, to be honest. You'll be grunting and whining the whole time even if you're not doing anything, so I'll spare myself from your attitude" she said, smirking

"Hey!" he said, and she laughed

"We can have lunch later, and we can spend the whole afternoon together! But for now, I really should do this"

"Heh…" said Sokka, distrustful "Well, fine… just go to the cute little house Zuko gave you, its fine by me…"

"Are you jealous, by any chance?" she asked, amused "How can you be so silly? I love you, Sokka! There'll never be anyone as important to me as you are! You've always been the one for me…" she said, kneeling in front of him and caressing his hair.

Sokka smiled at her touch, but just a second later he raised an eyebrow and looked at her with inquisitive eyes

"That sounds very cute… But are you sure I'm the only one you've said that to? I'm sure the guy who spat foam through his mouth also heard something like that from you…"

"Oh, you can't really be this stupid, can you?" asked Suki, rolling her eyes "How many times have I told you I only dated him once and that I regretted it with all my soul?!"

Sokka laughed happily and patted an irritated Suki on the head

"I was just joking, Suki, I didn't mean it"

"I hope you didn't…" she muttered, still annoyed "But I shouldn't really waste much time arguing about this, I should get going or they'll leave me with the worst room there is…"

Sokka nodded, and she leaned down to kiss him. He accepted and replied to her touch without even masking his guilt anymore… He had to tell her about what had happened; he had to, but how? How could he tell the girl he loved that he had kissed the crazy, malicious and power-hungry Princess that had kidnapped and thrown her in jail only a few years before?

"See you later" said Suki, smiling "I missed you"

"Me too…" he said, and she walked away, leaving him sitting on the floor, longing for her while wondering if he was nothing but an idiot for what he'd done…

He sighed and shook his head, he knew he had to calm down and think things through before doing anything stupid. But somehow, thinking wasn't something easy to do when his torso pained him as much as it did. How could he spend the afternoon with Suki if he was in such agony? She'd notice he wasn't alright at once, he had managed to hide it so far, but she was too smart and quick-witted to be underestimated… Sokka resolved to just head back to the doctor, he might have some painkillers to ease his suffering…

He stood up, and shots of pain ran all over his abdomen at once. He really should get back at Azula for this… it was karma's doing, surely this pain was payback for the way he'd cheated on Suki, but wasn't his conscience torturing him enough already? It didn't seem like the universe agreed with him at all…

He walked all the way to the doctor's office while flinching and grimacing, it seemed as if the pain was getting worse and worse by each second that went by. Sokka knocked the door softly, and the doctor opened it, at first he seemed suprised, but when he saw who had called on him, he sighed

"Are your burns still bothering you?" he asked, though he didn't seen particularly keen to assist Sokka

"Yeah..." he admitted "Can you help me out in some way?"

The doctor sighed and gestured him to enter the room. Sokka was lucky to deal with a man like this one; he hadn't asked any questions about how he'd gotten such horrible injuries when he looked after him the day before, and he didn't seen prone to ask him this time either

"Come in"

Half an hour later, Sokka exited the doctor's office feeling much better than before; at least, physically. His burns had been gaining a very nasty purple color, but the doctor applied an ointment to his skin which had cooled off the pain significantly. He had also drunken a tea with pain-killer effects, and now he was sure he would be able to tolerate the agony if Suki decided to hug him suddenly. But there were still several loose ends. Even if Suki didn't realize he had been wounded by Azula, she could find out about the kiss at some point if the crazy princess felt like ruining his life in revenge for what he'd done to her...

He frowned and walked to the Eastern Wing of the Palace, the zone where Azula used to seclude herself in during breakfast. She might have left already, but it was the only lead he had so far. But he didn't need to walk too far before hearing two girls engaged in conversation. At first he couldn't hear them too well, but as he approached the source of the voices, he managed to understand what they were saying

"... It really is just like you, Ty Lee" muttered a cruel voice that made Sokka blush the second he heard her

"How can you judge me for this? I had no idea he was married! He never told me!" protested a much more carefree voice "How was I supposed to know if he wouldn't tell me?"

"I'm not blaming you for not knowing he was married. I'm blaming you for getting infatuated with every single good-looking moron you see"

"Hey, that's not fair! I never fell in love with Zuko!"

"Who said anything about Zuko? Granted, he is a moron, but when exactly did he become good-looking?"

"Oh, even if he's your brother you have to acknowledge he is handsome!"

Sokka was suprised to hear them talking about these matters with such ease, without caring at all about who heard them. He figured they were strolling down the next hall, so he decided to stand in clear sight to avoid surprising the girls... And so he did, but they didn't notice him at all

"Handsome? Well, sure, if you have Mai's criteria he is absolutely stunning..." said Azula, smiling "But I had no idea you had such an image of my brother..."

"Oh, come on, it's not as if I said I'd marry him or something! And I don't think there's anything wrong with Mai's criteria! As cruel as it may sound, hers is better than yours!"

"What?!" said Azula, offended "Excuse me, but there's absolutely nothing that could give you the idea that my choice in men is wrong!"

"Oh, really? What about Chan?" asked Ty Lee, and it was her turn to smirk now

Of course, her words were the lowest blow she could have thrown at the Fire Princess.

"Oh, please! It's not as if I had actually fallen in love with that idiot!" said Azula "I mean, his body was well-built, but nonetheless...!"

"Uh-hum!" said Sokka, surprising them just as he hadn't wished to do. Listening to their chit-chat about boys wasn't something enjoyable to him.

Both Ty Lee and Azula had been looking at each other as they argued, but now they both turned to the front, and both stared at Sokka. Ty Lee hadn't expected to run into him at all, but she couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes as she saw him. Azula, on the other hand, froze as a million thoughts raced her head at full speed. What did he want? Was he seeking her out to explain to her what he'd done the day before? Was he going to blackmail her now? Had he fallen in love with her after kissing her? He was pretty dumb, such ridiculous turn of events might actually happen if it involved this particular peasant…

"Hi, Sokka…" said Ty Lee, forcing a smile "Is something the matter?"

"Other than the fact that I don't want to hear you two discussing your taste in men…" he muttered, scratching his head "… I… I need to talk to you" he muttered, looking at Azula.

In normal circumstances, Azula would have retorted cruelly at him in some way, but this time, she was unable to bring out any of her malicious jabs, therefore she merely nodded, agreeing to have a word with him. Ty Lee didn't even bother asking if she could stay, she didn't even want to hear what they said. She just hoped Sokka would prove he was the great guy she had always believed he was…

Once Ty Lee was gone, Sokka turned to Azula, who was frowning and glaring with her amber eyes at him.

"Alright, uh…" he said, closing his eyes as he attempted to figure out what to do

"What do you have to say for yourself, vermin?" she asked, her voice full of spite, to his dismay

"Uhm… don't you think that after what happened, you could take this a little more seriously and keep the nicknames to a minimum?" asked Sokka, but he wasn't going to be so lucky, it was obvious she was not in a pleasing mood

"I'm not using it as a nickname now, if you didn't notice" she said "I'm insulting you, but in fact, that might just be a more accurate name for you than your real one. Why the hell did you do all those things? What made you think you had the right to even walk up to me at all?"

"Talking like that won't solve anything, Azula" he said, sighing

"Don't say my name so lightly" she muttered, enraged

"Oh, will you please just act normal for once?!" he asked, exasperated "I'm not proud of what happened! I just want to try and make some sense out of this, if you'd be so kind to let me try!"

Azula glared at him with even more rage, but she kept quiet, to his relief

"Listen… What I did… I know how wrong it was. I shouldn't have done that, and believe me, I'm paying the price right now" he said, opening the upper half of his robe and revealing his recently renewed bandages

"It serves you right" she said, still glaring at him. She should have hurt him even more than she had.

"Yes, yes, it does, and I know it does!" said Sokka "But for your information, I'd be more than willing to apologize if you'd just stop with the killer glare!"

"What were you expecting?" said Azula "You wanted me to say you had nothing to be blamed for, that everything's fine and you can just go rest easy? Well, I'm pleased to inform you otherwise" she grunted

"Oh, just… fine!" he said, giving up "It's okay if you refuse to talk about it, but you can't deny that what I did damages both of us!"

"What…?" she said, clenching her teeth

"I did the unthinkable, and I might even end up ruining my relationship with Suki if word's out that I…"

"Took advantage of me" said Azula, folding her arms

"I'd… I'd rather see it in another light, but sure" he said, rolling his eyes "Anyway, the last thing I need right now is for Suki to heard this from anyone else, I have to tell her myself and explain why I did what I did…"

"I think I deserve an explanation before she gets hers, if you don't mind" she grunted

"Wha…? Wasn't it obvious?!" he said, in shock

"What seems obvious to you is nothing but harassment to me" she muttered

"Please… It's fine if you want to play hard to get and all, Azula, because yeah, you aren't an easy person to get along with or anything of the sort" he said "But acting as if I was the only one doing the kissing or the hugging is just stupid in your part. You're just as much to blame as I am!"

"I wasn't the one sneaking up on you while you thought you were alone and safe from lurking idiots!"

"Well, if you didn't want to be bothered, you should have closed the ruddy door in the first place!" yelled Sokka, losing his temper

"Oh, so you just see any open door and you immediately have the urge to look inside?" she asked "Good to know, I'll make sure to let everyone know you'll be spying upon them if they leave the bathroom door open or such…"

"Very funny" he said, frowning "I just looked because I never run into half-open doors in this Palace! I thought I'd close the door after making sure there was nobody inside, but you were there, so I just…"

"Couldn't walk away like any regular human being would?" she asked, frowning

"Well, you were crying your heart out, or so I thought!" he said, shocking her "And I just couldn't… I couldn't stop staring. I wanted to help you, if I could do it in some way, but I just didn't know what to do…"

"You were amazingly helpful; you were a life saver" she muttered with sarcasm "Because sneaking upon a crying girl seems like something so smart to do…"

"I didn't sneak up on you" he said "I didn't really know what to do! I just moved the door, and that's when you tried to kill me!"

"And I would have been very thankful if you'd let me!" declared Azula

"Seriously, we're going to go down that road now? Because I think I remember clearly that SOMEONE kissed me back!" he said "If you wanted me dead, if you thought my actions were SO unforgivable, how come did you kiss me back?!"

"I… I wasn't on my right mind back then" she said "If I had registered all you'd done, you wouldn't have survived…"

"Right…" he said, rolling his eyes again "Well, if this is the way you want to play it, fine! I'm not going to ask you to forgive me for what I did because I can see you're not up to that, so what about we try to forget it, move past it and go on with our lives?"

"It may be that easy for you, since your honor wasn't the one that got squatted and trashed by a pathetic peasant" she said "But I can't just forget it that easily"

"I get it…" he said "But my honor might just get squatted if word of this gets out"

"Indeed" said Azula, frowning

"And so would yours" he said "Because even if you want to make it look like I was doing all the work, you can't deny you were crying, and that's what caused this mess in the first place"

Azula sighed, exasperated

"Yes, fine, I was crying. Why do you even care if I cry or if I don't? As far as I was aware, you hated me. You still do, don't you? Or was my kiss so wonderful that it managed to sweep you off your feet?"

"Stop flattering yourself…" he said, as he tried his best to keep his blush at bay "But I… I don't really think I hate you, Azula, despite it all"

His words surprised her greatly, scaring her at the same time. He didn't hate her? Then… what on earth did he feel towards her? Why didn't he just hate her and make everything easier on both of them?!

"I don't even know what to think of you, but I can assure you that, back then, I just… I just wanted to stop you from crying" he said, sighing "When I jumped at you, I didn't do it so you'd fear me, or loathe me, or anything of the sort… but I couldn't just let you be if you were crying, alone, without anyone to stand by your side. I'm sure you think it was stupid from me to think this way, to even care at all… but I couldn't help myself. It was as if something had come over me, I was as lost and confused as you were, I didn't know what I was doing until it was too late. I just wanted to help you out of your misery, even if you didn't want my help or anyone else's"

Azula just looked at him, her frown turned into complete confusion. Then he hadn't had any creepy plans to blackmail her when he'd jumped at her… And he had actually said that he had wanted to stop her from crying. Why would anyone want to stop her from shedding tears? As a matter of fact, this particular peasant was one she had been sure would have enjoyed seeing her cry… Why did it appear to be the entire opposite right now? It made no sense whatsoever…

"Why?" she asked, to his surprise. She didn't even seem mad anymore "Why did you want to stop my tears? Do you have some sort of mania, maybe, and you just can't stand to see someone crying?"

"I… I don't think so, no…" he said, shaking his head "But… if I could do something, why wouldn't I have given it a try? I admit I went too far, and I shouldn't have kissed you… but I just wanted to be there for you even if it was just for a little while. You just looked… like you needed someone to stand by your side"

Azula lowered her stare, surprising Sokka. She stood silently for a minute before sighing and shaking her head

"Fine. I… I'll keep quiet about what happened. I really don't want anyone knowing I let you get away with all you did"

"I figured as much" said Sokka, smiling slightly "Then… we're going to forget about this whole mess and move on…?"

"I rather doubt I'll ever forget it, but I will try to put it past me" she muttered

"Good. We have ourselves a deal, then?" he said, extending his hand at her.

Azula raised an eyebrow and looked at him with contempt, wondering if he didn't ever think anything through. Did he really believe she'd shake his hand? Was this peasant's head as empty as it seemed to be?

Sokka only realized how dumb a move it was to hope for a friendly handshake with the Princess. Even if they seemed to have worked out their problems, it didn't mean they were friends or anything of the sort now…

"We do, but I don't think I'll be complying with touching your hand" she said, frowning "You might think it means you're more than welcome to act all sticky and disgusting around me from now on"

"Which I translate into: we're not friends, we barely get along, so don't even think about it" he said, withdrawing his hand

"It would seem your head isn't as empty as I thought it was" she muttered "Nonetheless, I should tell you that even if I seal this deal, you're not as safe as you believe you are. Ty Lee forced me to tell her about what happened, so you might need a word with her in case she's already made up her mind to tell your girlfriend about it"

Sokka was shocked, but he nodded, accepting her tip with actually gratitude

"Thanks for that… you might have saved my neck" he said

"Too bad I told you, then" said Azula, smirking

Sokka rolled his eyes at her malicious intent, but he did feel relieved to see Azula acting as her usual self once again.

"Thanks anyway. See you around, I guess…" he muttered, and she nodded curtly…

And Sokka ran off down the hall again, racing against time to find Ty Lee as quickly as possible. He didn't have to go too far, but the girl had actually been moving towards the new building inside the Palace, she was surely headed there to the same ends as Suki when she'd gone to see her new home.

"Ty Lee! Wait up!" he yelled, and she stopped on her tracks, surprised to hear him calling

"Sokka?" she said, turning around to face him as he finally reached her

Sokka panted when he got to Ty Lee, the wounds on his abdomen began aching once more after racing without much measure at all.

"T-that wasn't a good idea…" he said, grimacing at the pain

"Are you okay?" asked Ty Lee, helping him stand up properly, and catching a glimpse of his bandages in the process.

"I'm… I'm fine, I just… had to get to you before you went too far…" he said, smiling with difficulty

"What's the matter? Are you done talking to Azula?" she asked, surprised

"Yeah… And I'm sure you're wondering how on earth did I survive, aren't you?" he said, making her giggle

"Somewhat" admitted Ty Lee "Is everything okay between you both now?"

"It seems everything's back to the way it used to be, at least" said Sokka, shrugging "But we agreed not to talk or think much about this incident, and that's when she told me she had mentioned it to you… so I figured I'd ask you to keep quiet about it too. I really need to be the one to explain this to Suki when the time is right, and I wouldn't want her finding out through any other source"

"Oh… that's fine" said Ty Lee, smiling "I wasn't going to tell her anyway. I know I have quite the reputation of being a gossip, but I wouldn't have had the guts to tell Suki about this"

"Good to know… well, try not to tell anyone else either" said Sokka, smiling with discomfort "I really don't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it already is"

"Still… can I just ask why…?" muttered Ty Lee "I mean… you're a wonderful person, I'm sure you didn't do it to cause trouble to anyone, but this isn't something I imagined you'd ever do…"

"Neither did I" admitted Sokka, sighing "I didn't even think it through, I just saw her crying and I thought I had to stop her from being so sad somehow…"

"She was CRYING?!" asked Ty Lee

"She didn't tell you about that?" muttered Sokka "Well, that's convenient…"

"So… you just wanted to comfort her?" asked the girl, smiling

"It was my actual goal, but… I took a weird road to get it done" he admitted "But I hope to just forget it and move on with my life, and she agreed to do the same… so no need to worry anymore!"

"Good to know" said Ty Lee, smiling

Sokka sighed and rubbed his belly. The pain from the burns wasn't subsiding anymore; it seemed to be getting worse and worse by the minute.

"Is that what she did to you?" asked the Kyoshi Warrior, eyeing him with concern

"Yeah" said Sokka "I deserved it, I guess… But it's hurting more than before, so I guess I'll go lie down on my room for a while. Tell Suki I'm there if she asks about me… b-but please don't mention the wounds, okay?"

"Alright" said Ty Lee "See you around, Sokka"

"See you" he said, turning from her and walking towards his room.

Ty Lee watched him go, allowing herself to stare at him with slight longing. She wouldn't let it show earlier, but the reason she'd been so disappointed to see him cheat on Suki was because her image of him would have crumbled to the ground, and she would have hated to let that happen. The son of the ambassador had only been a mild distraction; she had wanted to get in a relationship as soon as possible if only to get her eyes off her friend's boyfriend. She was sure Sokka had to be with Suki, they were an amazing couple, but even so, her feelings for him would only grow stronger day by day. And she hated herself for feeling jealous of Suki, but she couldn't help herself. Still, she had been in love with Sokka for long enough to know how to hide her feelings from him and from anyone that might be able to notice the truth…

_The red string of fate can be misleading, lovers may believe they have found each other when they find love in other people; but, very often, __the other end of the string has been tied __to a person that stands __much closer than it __seems…_


	6. 6: Stronger

After Sokka left, Azula walked all the way to an open hallway, one from which there was a clear view of the Palace's inner garden. She leaned on the fence and stared at the sky, unable to realize her thoughts were completely filled up with the idiotic peasant she had just held a conversation with. His last statements had been so confusing and absurd… He didn't want to see her cry. He had done everything he could to show she had someone by her side, even if it was just for a little while. Why did he feel that crazy urge to show her she wasn't alone? Why did it matter to him?

Did he actually care about her?

Her heartbeats accelerated at the mere thought of someone feeling any kind of appreciation for her. Sure Ty Lee was her friend, but other than her, nobody else seemed to even like her at all. Up until now she had always claimed not to care if she was loved or hated, but his statements had crumbled her world to pieces, and she was at a loss, completely at a loss. Did she truly want to have someone by her side? Did she want to have HIM by her side? That blasted and stupid peasant, who kept saying bad jokes and sarcastic remarks, who spent most his time trying to prove himself better than he actually was… did she really want a man like that with her?

No, no… of course not! There were so many reasons why she shouldn't even bother thinking about him in the first place! He wasn't up to her standard at all; she deserved a much better man…

But if that was the case, why did it seem like she truly wanted him?

Her conscience's last malicious remark made her blush. Was it because of the amazing kiss they had shared? Was it because of his dazzling blue eyes? Was there a reason AT ALL?! There might have been one: he was the first person to ever go to such extent only to stop her tears, putting his life in the line on the process. It was something really stupid… but really moving at the same time. He surely wouldn't do that just for anyone… would he?

She knew the answer to that question even before she had finished formulating it in her mind. Of course he would have, he was that type of ridiculous boy who would jump to save anyone's life if he was needed to get the job done. And even if they had kissed as passionately as they had, it didn't mean he felt something other than pity towards her; surely he'd spent all his love in his stupid warrior girl with that painted face… Seriously, why did they paint their faces that way? They looked blatantly stupid in her opinion… what did Sokka see in that face-painted girl anyway?

She stopped immediately at those thoughts, knowing it was nothing other than her jealous self speaking out. And why should she feel any jealousy at all? He was an idiot, and he deserved a girl as stupid as he was!

She really didn't want to give any other thought to this matter. She was just feeling like having a good battle to let out all her stress… But there were no suitable fighters in the Palace right now, at least, not that she knew of. The only one who might not die after five seconds of battling her was Zuko, and she knew he would never agree to fight her just so she could let out her rage and fury towards the recent events. He'd surely force her to explain why she felt so annoyed and he'd probably recommend mental therapy again after finding out she hadn't even relented at what Sokka had done to her…

But what did it matter to Zuko anyway? In the past, she had only been the focus of his envy and jealousy; nowadays, she seemed to be merely a hindrance, a small issue he had to deal with as he tried to be a proper Fire Lord. She resented him for treating her in such manner, since even today she believed she would be a much better Fire Lord than he was, but he had shown a certain level of mercy towards her by letting her out of the Mental Hospital and he let her keep her title as Princess without any hard feelings, or so he had claimed. She should count herself lucky for all his kind acts… but deep down, she was certain most of what he'd done hadn't been out of genuine care for her. He was merely keeping her in check, making sure she wouldn't do anything too rash or dangerous; it was extremely clear to anyone that Zuko feared his sister might escape if you were to judge by the amount of soldiers guarding the palace nowadays…

Azula snorted and rolled her eyes at the thought. Of course she wouldn't escape. What could she gain by becoming a fugitive, just as he had been during his banishment? She'd only live a rougher and harder life, suffering through much more than she ever had before. Surely she wouldn't be welcome anywhere, she was well aware that she held the title of 'The Crazy Princess who Almost Became Fire Lord'; who would possibly lend her a helping hand and stand by her as she tried to find her path in life? No one would bother; not even Ty Lee would do it on this occasion, she had to fulfill her duties as a Kyoshi Warrior, no commands from the Fire Nation Princess would change her mind nowadays; she didn't fear Azula anymore, their friendship had become much more natural and equal after Azula had been released from the Mental Hospital, and she couldn't order her around anymore.

Currently, Ty Lee was the one person who seemed to care about who she really was. As she had thought before, Zuko wouldn't trust her at all and feared she might wreck havoc and ruin the perfect life he was leading after becoming Fire Lord. Her relationship with Mai had been demolished after the incident at the Boiling Rock; whenever the two of them found themselves in the same room they'd ignore each other completely, as if they lived in completely different worlds. Azula wouldn't deny she missed having both Mai and Ty Lee at her beck and call, but the more she brooded about it, the worse her depression would become. She had truly lost everything, hadn't she…?

Well, not entirely. She still had her firebending, and her mind had always been her greatest weapon; her cunning and sly abilities hadn't dulled with the years, but she didn't resort to them too often anymore unless she was seeking to bother annoying peasants such as…

She shook her head, she was sick of thinking about him. There were more important matters to ponder about right now…

Were there? Up until a day ago, her problems had only related to what she had been thinking about for now; her childhood issues, her annoyance at her brother, her pain at having lost everything she held dear… but even if she wanted to shun away all thoughts related to what had happened between her and that peasant, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

She still wondered why she had let herself be influenced by her feelings at the time, by the strange desperation that had taken over her, that desire of not being alone anymore. She had always claimed that she needed nobody, fleeting feelings of love and appreciation were beyond her understanding, she belived them to be irrational and unnecessary, and they were just a distraction that lowly people allowed themselves to be swayed by. But now she found herself being swayed by them too, to her utter embarrassment.

But it wasn't as if she had fallen in love with that Water Tribe peasant... She had merely been moved by his random actions, actions that still made no sense to her, no matter how many times she tried to figure out the reasons behind his behavior. She was so sure he hated her...

To be honest, she was sure nearly everyone hated her, especially those who were members of 'Team Avatar'. Maybe the Avatar himself didn't despise her, but he definitely didn't like her at all; even when he smiled at her in a friendly manner, she knew deep down he was ready to strike her and steal her bending if she dared to do anything dangerous to him or his friends.

The Water Tribe girl did hate her, that she didn't doubt at all. Each time they met, she'd cast hateful glares at Azula, which the Princess returned full-heartedly most of the time. The enmity between them hadn't changed at all even years after their fateful battle, in which Katara had defeated her thanks to a mixture of luck and her own carelessness. She would never stop looking back in anger at that dreadful fight, she would never forget what had happened that day nor would she forget the meaning of what had occurred. The memory filled her with hatred, and she was almost sure it filled Katara with pride... which led her to be certain they would never ever get along, and she most definitely didn't want to get along with a peasant such as that Water Tribe peasant.

As for the blind earthbender, she knew the girl didn't hold such grudge against her, but it didn't mean she liked her at all. In fact, the blind girl's idea of her was possibly worse than the way everyone else saw her: she didn't ever consider her a threat at all. It was as if she were nothing but the shadow of what she used to be, and that made the earthbender underestimate her. Oh, if she only had the chance to prove her wrong in her assumptions and burn her to the ground with her fire... But she knew the consequences of striking down any of Zuko's friends, so she had to keep all her rage to herself and reccur to verbal battles to prove she was still fearsome to either the blind girl or the last member of the group...

She had always been sure he hated her. During their trip to find her mother she had done nothing but terrify and annoy him non-stop, and nothing had changed after said trip, as far as she'd been aware of. Maybe she insulted him more often nowadays, or her jabs had become crueler, but if that was the case, why had he been so intent to comfort her when he saw her tears? Deep down she knew her sudden feelings towards him could easily translate into gratitude for holding her when she had been at her lowest point, and the fact that he was just slightly attractive had also been a part of whatever spell he had casted on her without her noticing. But she knew nobody was that kind and gentle in the world in which they lived, and even if there were such people, it wouldn't change the fact that nobody would be so kind and gentle to her after knowing how cruel, excentric and heartless she was...

Therefore, against her heart's wishes to believe Sokka's actions had come from his gentle and caring heart, she decided to believe he had an ulterior motive for doing what he did.

Was he as lonely as she was? Well, that was impossible. Nobody was as lonely as she was, especially if he had the tons of friends she knew Sokka had. Maybe he hadn't felt lonely back when he had comforted her, but maybe he knew the pain she was going through... Could there be deeper thoughts and feelings beneath that peasant's apparent simplicity? She didn't want to believe it, to tell the truth. She always measured each person she met and ensured they were no threat to her; Sokka had been labeled as a pathetic and ignorant peasant she could make fun of, she had been certain he wasn't anyone to worry about, since he seemed really dull and thoughtless, and to top her assumptions, he wasn't a bender, all he could use to fight was that ridiculous boomerang and the black sword he didn't even have anymore. How could someone so meaningless do any harm to her?

But the real question she asked herself was: why had she let him become dangerous when she could have blasted through his body with her fire and ensured he wouldn't bother her ever again?

She let herself remember the entire scene again, and she frowned as she realized how weak her bending had been when dealing with Sokka. True, he had taken her by surprise, but even Zuko would have managed to blast the peasant out of his way in those circumstances... so why didn't she? Had her bending really become weaker? Only a couple of days before she had trained and performed some of the finest firebending she had under her sleeve, so it didn't make any sense for her to have lost her strength like that... Maybe the peasant was actually immortal or simply unbeatable! Oh, she couldn't lie to herself like this. Even if she was known for lying at everyone else, she refused to do the same with herself. She had to acknowledge her flaws and mistakes, she had to accept she had been weak and careless... because she had been frightened by his unexpected actions. She had been afraid of what would happen after being seen in her frailest and weakest state, afraid of the blow her reputation would suffer if her secret was revealed to the world, and afraid of what that peasant would do with the knowledge he had acquired. She thought she had underestimated him, she had been certain she would pay for all the insults and shame she'd put him through... she had expected him to run to Zuko and tell him about what he had witnessed in a fit of laughter...

But she truly had underestimated him. What could have possibly led him to decide to press forward rather than running away? It had been quite a brave and bold move on his part. But it hadn't been the kind of courage people always talked about, the kind where you run to face your doom without any fear whatsoever. No, in this case he had been afraid, she had seen it in his eyes. But even when he was scared of dying by her hand, he had decided to stand his ground, to prove his worth and to try and comfort her when she had needed someone to support her. She would have never asked for anyone's assistance, she wouldn't have in a thousand years... but he had read through her with total ease, and he had ignored all kind of protocol or rules, he had devoted himself to her in that very moment, making sure she wouldn't feel alone even if was just for a little while. But no matter how many times she thought about it, she couldn't believe he was that kind-hearted... There had to be a missing piece on this puzzle, she was sure of it, and she would figure out what it was someday. Nobody did such genuine and pure acts without an actual motive...

But why should she find out?

He was involved with someone else. What they had lived had been momentary, it had only happened due to the heat of the moment, and even if it had been so meaningful when it happened, it didn't look like such a great deed anymore. He deserved some serious damage for kissing her in such thoughtless manner, but she had to admit his wounds might pain him for the rest of his life. It was quite the punishment, even though she wanted to make him suffer more now. Why had he approached her when he already had a girlfriend? Was he that immoral, or had he simply forgotten all about his Kyoshi Warrior? If he was that quick to forget her, she was sure their relationship wouldn't last another year, if it could make it through what had happened between Sokka and herself... would Suki forgive her boyfriend for cheating on her?

To be honest, it didn't matter to Azula. She didn't care at all if their relationship would survive or not, it wasn't her business at all. What she had shared with Sokka was something she wouldn't be able to forget, no matter how hard she tried, but even so, she had to move past it. She had lost herself to the desperate need of having someone by her side for just a small while, but she was definitely not going to fall down the path she always criticized so strongly: the pointless need to be involved with somebody only for the sake of not being alone.

Azula smirked and shook her head, realizing she had almost lost her way after being swayed by that Water Tribe peasant's blue eyes and sweet kiss. Even after all that had happened, she had to keep her head held high; she wasn't going to change for anyone other than herself, and if she were to fall in love at some point in her life (she couldn't say it was impossible, because no matter how unlikely it seemed, it still could happen) she would make sure she wouldn't be swayed by the first moron who dared approach her. If she were to fall in love, she would do it with someone worthy of her time, someone who would understand and care about her for real, not just for a few minutes, not just for the simple purpose of stopping her tears.

Her eyes shined with determination now. Even if she wouldn't forget the magical moment she had lived with that peasant, she would make sure to keep moving forward and he'd better do the same. She wasn't going to let her heart be affected stupidly by fleeting feelings that might vanish as quickly as they came, and he would do good in following her lead.

Certainty filled her slowly, to her utter satisfaction. She was still herself; he wouldn't break her down so easily. With a smirk, she finally walked away from the garden she had been staring at, knowing that, even when she wasn't proud at all of what had happened between her and that lowly peasant, she had become much stronger than before.

Being alone wasn't that bad at all.

_Love can bring pain, love can bring sadness, love can bring sorrow. But only when you're ready to embrace everything love brings will the string of fate's power begin to pull the lovers together: once fear is discarded, the lovers will be able to discover the real meaning of true love._


	7. 7: Anything You Can Do

A few weeks passed after the incident between the Princess and the Water Tribe boy, weeks in which the two of them hardly interacted at all. They actually were avoiding each other, trying to carry on with their respective lives without a hitch, pretending not to care about their fateful encounter; actually, pretending it never even happened at all.

Sokka hadn't even found the courage within himself to tell Suki about it just yet. He had managed to hide his burns, to his own bewilderment, but he knew he'd have to explain everything eventually. He knew that putting it off would only make it harder and harder, but each time he tried to bring up the subject, Suki would smile at him and stare at him with her tender eyes, making him realize he was too scared of losing her to be honest and through with her. He truly loved Suki; he loved her so much he couldn't imagine his life without her…

And now he had to imagine it, at least, for a day.

"Do you really have to go…?" he asked Suki, staring at her with pleading eyes.

They were out on the Palace's Main Gate once again, but this time it was a goodbye rather than a welcome. The Kyoshi Warriors had been requested to guard the family meeting of a nobleman in Ember Island, and they had to leave at midmorning to make it to their destination on time. Clad in their uniforms and face-paint, they were packed and ready to head out as soon as their ride arrived to take them to the shore, from where they'd board a ship that would carry them to the island.

"Of course I do, Sokka" she said, smiling at him, but a small twinge of sadness was clear in her eyes "It's my duty, after all"

"But… but I don't want to be left all alone again…" he whined "Can't I go with you girls?"

"Sure you can, if you put on our uniform and let Ty Lee do your face-paint" said Suki mockingly, to Sokka's surprise

"You want me to put on Kyoshi make-up on Sokka?!" said Ty Lee, jumping towards them as soon as she heard her name "That sounds like a plan! Let's do it!"

"N-no, thanks…" said Sokka, gulping "I had enough of that for one day…"

"One day?!" said Ty Lee, amazed "You're saying… you've worn Kyoshi makeup before?!"

"Sure he did" said Suki, smirking

"That sounds like so much fun!" she said "I want to put face-paint on him! I do, I do! Let me do it!"

"Well, if he decides to come with us…" said Suki, raising an eyebrow and looking at Sokka with playful eyes

"Y-you know what?" said Sokka, giving up "I might survive a day without you after all, Suki… But you're sure you'll return tonight, right?"

"Yes, I'll do my best to return tonight" she said, patting him on the shoulders "You really can't stand ten minutes without me, can you?"

"I don't think I can stand a second without you…" he muttered. _You're the only one who can keep my sanity in check… _he added in his mind, but he figured it would be better to keep that small bit of information inside his head.

"You'll just have to do without me for a while" she said, smiling and caressing his cheek "I'll be back as soon as I can… I can't stay away knowing you're waiting for me"

He smiled and then she closed in for full-blown hug… and he took her hands, doing all he could to avoid having her touch his abdominal zone. His wounds were only halfway through healing, and they were hurting him so badly nowadays that the painkillers' effect wouldn't act upon them at all. How he wished his sister had been around to heal him when he needed her… But she surely would have asked about how he had obtained such wounds, and if he explained what had happened between him and Azula, she might have decided to have him keep his burns after all…

"Sokka…?" asked Suki, surprised.

And to cover up for avoiding her embrace, he leaned down and kissed her gently, to which Suki replied happily. Ty Lee felt slightly out of place while witnessing the public display of affection, so she took a few steps away from the happy couple, who grinned at each other once the kiss was interrupted.

Suki caressed Sokka's chest kindly, wondering if she actually could get by without him… and his shirt opened up slightly. To her surprise, she caught sight of a bandage on his torso, something she hadn't spotted in these few weeks. She frowned and looked at him in mild doubt

"Sokka…?" she said, and he raised an eyebrow

"What is it?"

Suki saw the innocent and happy expression on his face, and she couldn't bring herself to ask the story behind his wounds. She smiled at him, and muttered

"I'll miss you"

"I'll miss you too" he said, kissing her forehead.

Suki caught sight of the bandages again, but she had already decided against asking. She smiled, trying to keep her expression natural and kind, and she turned around, heading towards the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors.

"So… did you tell her?" asked Ty Lee, raising an eyebrow while she stared at Sokka from the corner of her eye

He sighed and shook his head, disappointed with himself

"No, I… I haven't. I can't even bring up the subject" he muttered "I'm too scared of the consequences… I wish I had been scared back when it all happened! I wouldn't be in this mess if I'd just…"

"Just…?" asked Ty Lee

"Just kept acting normal" muttered Sokka "If I had just used my head before getting myself into trouble…"

"It's a little late to complain about that now" said Ty Lee, sighing "But you'll have to explain to Suki eventually, and the faster you do it, the better it will be for both of you. Hiding secrets from your partner could destroy your relationship completely…"

"I know" said Sokka "But telling her about it might destroy it as well… I don't want to lose her, Ty Lee… but it seems like I will, no matter what I do…"

"If you're honest and you stay true to her from now on, I'm sure you won't lose her" said Ty Lee, smiling kindly "It might be hard at first, but I'm sure your relationship can endure all the problems if you both fight for it"

Sokka listened to her advice and smiled with mild optimism

"You're right. I won't give up on me and Suki just because of this. We'll get by, I know we will…"

"Ty Lee! Hurry up or we'll be late!" called Suki from the exit of the Palace. The carriage that would take them to the shore had already arrived, and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors had already climbed aboard

"Oops" said Ty Lee, smiling as she sprinted towards the vehicle "See you later, Sokka!"

"See you!" he said, and he didn't take his eyes off the carriage until it was gone from view.

He stood in the same spot for what it felt like hours, his gaze lost in the horizon. He really needed to talk to Suki… but he didn't believe he had enough courage to do it. He was so afraid of losing her…

Sokka groaned and shook his head around, trying to get all those worries off his mind. The more he thought about it, the more difficult it would become to bring the matter to Suki when they met again. Deciding to occupy his mind with anything else, he walked away from the Main Gates and wandered around the Palace even if just for a little while, trying to find anything to do now that his girlfriend was gone.

He walked by the halls, staring at the paintings of the Royal Family with mild disgust. Most of them looked evil and malicious, in his humble opinion. It might have been the painter's fault, but nonetheless, all those Fire Lord images disgusted him slightly. But when he was about to exit the Royal Gallery, he nearly crashed into Zuko, who was carrying a tray with three cups of tea.

"Watch it, Sokka!" he said, one of the cups spilled slightly

"Sorry!" said the Water Tribe boy, taking one of the cups to make the work easier for his friend "Um… why exactly are you carrying tea, Zuko? Aren't you the Fire Lord? Shouldn't you have someone else do this…?"

"My Uncle asked me to make tea" said Zuko, sighing "He believes I have to learn to make high quality tea to be a proper Fire Lord. I still don't know what does tea have to do with ruling the Fire Nation, but he's been right before, so he might be right again"

"Sounds fishy" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow in suspicion "Don't you think he might have asked you to do this because he was too lazy to get the tea himself?"

"M-maybe…" muttered Zuko, flushing at the thought "B-but he was busy anyway, so I figured he was being serious when he asked me to do this…"

"Let's leave it at that, then" said Sokka, with a guilty smile "Do you want me to help you take the tea to your Uncle?"

"If you want to…" said Zuko, and he lead the way to the room in which Iroh was waiting "Are the Kyoshi Warriors gone already?"

"Yeah, they just left" muttered Sokka, looking a little depressed

"Meaning I'll have to deal with you again, huh?" said Zuko, sighing in irritation

"I get it, I can be really annoying when I'm bored…" muttered Sokka "But she'll be back tonight, or at least, that's what she promised!"

"Then I hope she keeps to her word" said Zuko, grinning.

Sokka didn't realize there were three cups until they made it to the room Zuko had led him to. He frowned as he noticed that particular detail and he looked at his friend with slight concern

"Say… why were you carrying three cups instead of two…?" he asked, but Zuko was halfway through opening the door…

And the answer to his question became clear enough.

Iroh was sitting in front of a fancy Pai Sho table, holding one of the tiles as he stared intently at the board. And just across him, also scanning the game with intelligent and agile eyes, was the Fire Nation Princess Sokka had been avoiding during all these days.

As soon as he saw her, he felt a pit on his stomach. Nowadays he didn't even know if he liked or hated her; he had been terrified of what might happen the next time they ran into each other… Well, he was about to find out if his fears would come true now…

Azula made up her mind and placed a tile on the board, holding it between her index and middle finger before putting it in its rightful slot. Iroh seemed startled by her move and he frowned; his plans had been thwarted by Azula yet again. She had knocked over most of his strategies without even trying, and she was forcing him into a corner slowly, but surely.

She smirked at seeing her Uncle's reaction, but decided to keep her mind in the game; she was a genius, but he had much more experience than she did with Pai Sho, she couldn't let her guard down. She realized someone had entered the room and she assumed it was only Zuko, returning with the tea Iroh had sent him to make for them, but a quick glance had her realize there actually were two people inside now. She frowned as she looked at the other occupant of the room, to Sokka's dismay. He was attempting to seem as normal and natural as possible, but judging by the way she glared at him, she wasn't about to do the same.

Nevertheless, Azula decided to ignore his presence and turned to Zuko, even when she wasn't able to hide completely the thrill she felt after seeing Sokka for the first time in weeks…

"You took your time. Is it so difficult to boil water, Zuzu?"

"Stop mocking me" he muttered, handing a cup of tea over to her "At least I bothered to bring it; it's more than what you would have done"

"True" she muttered, smirking.

As Zuko handed a cup to Iroh, Azula took a sip from her own tea… and grimaced with disgust

"W-what…?" said Zuko "Don't you like it?"

"Uncle, you'll be the only one making tea from now on" she said, completely repulsed, to Zuko's dismay

"Don't be so cruel to your brother, Azula" said Iroh, smiling at Zuko "I'm sure Zuko's tea-making skills have improved a lot after all this time…"

"I don't even want to imagine how bad he used to be if this is an improvement" muttered Azula, shaking her head in disgust

"W-well, if you didn't like it, maybe you're the one who should have made it!" yelled Zuko

"You should feel ashamed of yourself, Zuko. Changing the subject and targeting me like that won't help your cause at all. Oh, I truly fear for the Fire Nation's destiny if the Fire Lord cannot even boil tea properly…"

"Ugh! Could you just…?!" started Zuko, about to lose all control

"Calm down, Zuko. You're doing exactly what she wants you to do" said Sokka, patting his friend on the shoulder, even though his words didn't seem to be soothing at all.

"And since you're such smart vermin, you're able to read through me so flawlessly…" she said, coating her voice with sarcasm and contempt "It's hilarious. You always recommend everyone to ignore my words, but the first one to get swayed by them is you"

"W-well, maybe I used to be swayed easily, but I'm not anymore…" he muttered, trying to keep cool despite having been annoyed by her words

"I'd like to see how that works for you, vermin" she said, smirking

Sokka clenched his teeth, trying to calm himself after hearing her insulting him with her favorite word of the season yet again. He had thought that after what they had gone through, she might respect him just a little more… But being called vermin repeatedly proved the opposite.

"I'm not playing your game anymore…" he said, with complete determination

"You never were" said Azula "The one thing I'm playing is Pai Sho, and I rather doubt a pea-… vermin, such as you, could ever understand such complex game. You're not smart enough to play it, even if you want to trick yourself into believe the opposite"

Sokka could stand many things, but not to hear her insult his intelligence. He was about to retort, but when he raised his hand to tell her how smart he really was; he realized he still had a cup of tea. Maybe it would cool him down and he'd find a way to gulp down the rage and avoid getting involved in any other issues with the arrogant princess…

Zuko stared in dismay when Sokka gulped down the cup.

"B-but that cup was mine!" he complained, feeling cheated

Sokka finished the drink in a matter of seconds, but not until he had downed it completely did he notice how disgusting the beverage really was.

"Yuck! What the heck was this, Zuko?!" he said

"IT WAS MY TEA AND YOU DRANK IT!" yelled the Fire Lord

"You want me to give it back? I think I just might…" said Sokka, holding his stomach "That really sucked…"

"I'm surprised you could tell it was so bad" said Azula, smirking "I was certain vermin such as you would be unable to see the difference between high class tea and garbage such as what Zuko made"

"I can tell the difference!" yelled Sokka, making Zuko frown with annoyance

"Fine! I'm never making any tea for either one of you ever again!"

"Oh, the horror…" said Azula dramatically, but still she was smirking

"That's not much punishment, to be honest…" said Sokka, surprised to see himself siding with Azula for once

Suddenly, Iroh placed a Pai Sho tile on the board and he smiled with satisfaction. Azula's attention went back to the game instantly as she took in the position in which he had placed the White Lotus tile, the last one he had left. Iroh seemed proud of his movement… but his niece smirked yet again. She took her last tile and placed it diagonal to his White Lotus, and she had Iroh stare at the board in disbelief.

"Oh... that's more than I gambled for..." he said, smiling "I'm amazed you devised such a strategy, my niece. You could become a professional Pai Sho player with a few years of training!"

"Being a professional Pai Sho player isn't something I would look forward to, Uncle... It's just a game" said Azula "And I won't become a professional just because I beat you once"

"I don't appreciate you considering Pai Sho 'just a game', but you have much potential, nevertheless" said Iroh "Not anyone would be able to knock me out of play after I've used the White Lotus tile"

"That assumption was your downfall" said Azula "I only had to devise a plan through which I would cancel the effects of the White Lotus and all your strategy would become completely useless. You rely too heavily on a sole Pai Sho piece, which can be a strength against most your opponents, but not against me"

"Indeed" said Iroh "You truly are a genius of strategy, Azula. No wonder I failed to capture Ba Sing Se for so many years while you managed to obtain it in a heartbeat"

Azula smirked and nodded

"It was longer than a heartbeat, but yes, you're right"

Sokka felt a twitch on his eyebrow at hearing Iroh compliment the Princess with such flattering words. She surely wasn't that good... Zuko wasn't too thrilled at hearing their aftermath conversation either, and he felt even worse when Iroh finally brought the cup of tea to his lips and drank some of the infusion his nephew had made... and even as he tried to smile gently, he couldn't hide his disgust entirely.

"Oh, tea..." he said, drinking the rest of the cup as quickly as he could "I think I'll need more than this one cup..."

"Well... there's more in the kitchen..." muttered Zuko, distrustful

"Oh, there's none left?" said Iroh, twisting his nephew's words "Then I guess I'll have to go make some!"

"Give Zuko a good lesson about how to make tea while you're at it, Uncle" suggested Azula

"He... he already did..." admitted Zuko, disheartened "But what I just made wasn't that bad!"

"How would you know if you didn't drink it?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow and tearing down the last of Zuko's self-respect

"It would appear to me that he didn't learn much if you already tried to teach him" said Azula "Well, he never really was a fast learner..."

"Cut Zuko some slack, kids. He did the best he could" said Iroh, getting up

"Are you really going to make more tea?" said Sokka

"Yes" said Iroh "Do you wish to learn how to make it too?"

"Not really..." admitted Sokka, sighing "I just wanted to see if you'd play a Pai Sho game with me. I've never played before, but I wanted to give it a try..."

"I would be honored to play you" said Iroh "But this last game tired me out, I need another cup of tea to refresh myself. But maybe you can play Azula!"

Iroh's grand idea left both Azula and Sokka as if they had been struck by lightning. Neither could assimilate Iroh's words completely, something that surprised Zuko mildly. Why did both of them seem so opposed to a fight they would have welcomed with open arms in regular circumstances?

"P-play Azula...?" repeated Sokka, completely dumbstruck

"Of course!" said Iroh "She can teach you the basics, and you and I can have a good game another day if you find Pai Sho to be of your liking. But for now, I'll go teach Zuko how to make tea"

"Uncle, I've seen you do it a million times..." complained Zuko, and Iroh laughed

"And yet you haven't mastered my technique! I believe it's time for you to undergo real training in tea-making!" stated Iroh, exiting the room

"Uncle..." whined Zuko, following his Uncle without much enthusiasm

Azula and Sokka found themselves alone inside the room before they were able to register what was happening. Sokka looked at her in mild fear, wondering if she would agree to play him or not...

"So... are we going to do this?" he asked, trying to smile with optimism, but his concern made it look like a half-crooked grimace

"I don't think so" said Azula, rolling her eyes "I don't wish to waste my time teaching an useless peasant the ways of Pai Sho"

"You don't need to teach me anything" said Sokka firmly as he took the seat Iroh had vacated "I've read the rules, I know what the game is like and I guarantee you I can play it, even if I haven't played it before"

"Such overflowing confidence..." Azula mocked him "You sound as if you were certain you can keep up to my pace. But I'm warning you: I do not waver, and I most definitely won't hold back if I find the opportunity to destroy you"

Sokka frowned, hoping her threat only applied to the Pai Sho board and that she wouldn't actually try to destroy him if he ever gained the upper hand.

Azula distributed the tiles fairly and the game began. Sokka watched her every move, pondering each detail as he tried to devise a strategy to defeat her thoroughly. She tried to mask her surprise at each of his moves, which weren't the trademark thoughtless moves of a beginner at Pai Sho. She didn't want to admit it, but she could tell she had underestimated him yet again: he was much smarter than he appeared…

But he wasn't smart enough to defeat her.

"A tie?" asked Sokka, after they were done counting the points "Ha! It was a tie! Now you know we're on the same level of strategic skill!"

Azula let out a snort of disbelief and stared at the Water Tribe boy with condescendence

"You and I, equals? Achieving a tie as a result means nothing, you vermin" she said, but Sokka was too busy smirking to himself to care about her words

"So you say, but you couldn't destroy me" said Sokka "In your face, Dull Princess! You're all bark and no bite!"

"I'll acknowledge I underestimated you…" muttered Azula "But a tie isn't a triumph, vermin. If you don't defeat me, you haven't proved anything"

"I've proved we're equals!" said Sokka, still grinning

"You were simply lucky to obtain the pieces you got" said Azula "And all you proved is that your standards are lower than mine. I strive for victory, yet you're satisfied with a miserable tie… equals? Even if our skills were the same, which they aren't, I'm far more of a visionary than you are, and that sets us apart. You have no real ambition to fuel you, you couldn't care less whether you win or lose"

"Hey, I do care!" said Sokka "But that's okay, I know you're bitter because you expected to beat me by a huge margin, but don't worry. I'll give you the chance to fight me again, if that's what it'll take for you to see we're evenly matched…"

Azula glared at him, but Sokka was too lost in his cocky demeanor to care at all.

"Alright" said Azula, to Sokka's satisfaction. He had expected her to be unable to resist another chance to prove her superiority, but after that battle he was certain they really were equally matched…

"Zuko, what do you think you're doing?" asked Iroh, following Zuko while holding a cup of tea.

The Fire Lord had insisted in running back to the Pai Sho room to check if his friend and sister hadn't killed each other yet… well, if his sister hadn't killed his friend, to be honest. It didn't seem likely that Sokka could kill Azula, no matter which way he looked at it.

"I'm only going to make sure they're okay" said Zuko "They're too dangerous a combination to be left alone for too long…"

"You're being completely paranoid, Fire Lord Zuko…" muttered Iroh, yawning as they reached the room "There's no reason for you to worry at all…"

Zuko opened the door carefully, ready to find his sister choking Sokka to death… and he was pleasantly surprised to see them playing Pai Sho without any hostile atmosphere whatsoever… well, that was a little off. There really was a hostile atmosphere, especially noticeable where Azula was sitting. She was staring so hard at the board that Zuko expected the tiles to burst into flames any second now. Sokka, on the other hand, seemed slightly relaxed and confident, but his eyes were also fixated upon the Pai Sho table in front of him.

Iroh closed the door again, and Zuko shrugged

"I guess you were right… there was no reason to be worried" he said, smiling after seeing that, even if it was as rivals, both the Princess and the Peasant seemed to be able to get along once in a while…

Or so he hoped. Things could turn over really quickly as soon as they walked away from the scene, but Zuko couldn't do anything other than hope they wouldn't…

_To each, his own. There are no set rules about how two people should fall in love, there's no telling whether their union is wrong or right. But even if they struggle against their destiny, the red string of fate will ensure their lives are linked together until the end of time._


	8. 8: Revolving Lantern

Iroh and Zuko had left so quietly that neither one of the players noticed their absence; they didn't even notice their presence, for that matter. The game continued within the room without a hitch, but after half an hour, Azula smirked in satisfaction and Sokka let out a wail of despair

"W-why?! How?! B-but I almost beat you before! So… HOW?!" he asked, losing his patience as she let out a cruel laugh

"You were careless. You were so certain you would defeat me this time you didn't even take in half the details you had noticed on the previous match" said Azula "You were completely convinced we were equals, but since I strived to be above you, I won, whereas you were so happy with the previous mediocre result you didn't try harder on this occasion. You should be ashamed of yourself"

Sokka sighed and looked at the board, feeling ashamed indeed

"I already am, you don't have to shove it on my face…"

"That's good to know, then" she said, still smirking as she stood up

"W-wait, where are you going?" asked Sokka, following her with his eyes

"What does it matter to you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"W-well, I just wanted another round!" said Sokka "One more game won't hurt you!"

"Oh, it won't hurt me, it will bore me" muttered Azula "I'm not in the mood for more Pai Sho, I've had enough games for a week"

"B-but…"

"If you couldn't beat me, maybe it's finally time for you to acknowledge I'm a far better strategist than you are" she said "You're not even half as good as I am"

Her words left him dumbstruck as he felt a twitch below his left eye. The previous game had been a tie, and now she was claiming to be completely above him in strategy just because she had beaten him on the next one?! Preposterous!

She had already left the room by the time he ran after her and raised a menacing finger in her direction.

"Stop being so cocky! Even if you beat me once, it's not as if you couldn't lose against me! You almost did on that other game!"

"But the fact remains that I didn't" she muttered, as she turned around to face him again "I was a better strategist. Do yourself a favor and admit it already so you can spare yourself the embarrassment of being demolished by my skills"

"Oh, I don't want to spare me anything! Come on, fight me again if you're such a hotshot!" said Sokka, and she rolled her eyes

"I'm not going to play another round" she said "Stop being such a nuisance, will you?"

"No! Come on! Are you afraid I'll defeat you this time, huh?!" he said, lifting his hands up as if to get into a fist fight with the Princess, who let out a sigh of exasperation

"In such a state of mind, you most definitely won't defeat me. You're too busy trying to get back at me, and you'll miss out on all the details again. Stop acting like such a fool and accept your failure with dignity, or else you'll keep proving over and over again that you're nothing other than the useless peasant I've always taken you for"

"Oh, no! You're going to fight me again, I'll keep pestering you until you do!" he said, marching towards her with one of his typical clumsy stances.

Azula stared at him with irritation, wondering how she would get rid of the idiotic peasant. He certainly didn't seem to be the same person who had kissed her and caused her such troubles only a few weeks earlier…

"Do I need to show you proof of how much of a brilliant strategist I am?" asked Azula "I thought it was clear after that game… it seems like I had judged you well before: you really are stupid"

"I'm a great strategist too, in case you don't remember!" yelled Sokka

"Uh… are you?" asked Azula, looking him up and down "As far as I can see… you're just a moron that doesn't know when to give up a fight…"

"For your information, this moron here was the one who devised the way to make the hot-air War Balloons fly!" claimed Sokka

"Brilliant work" said Azula, nodding "And then we got hold of your great creation and it all backfired at you. Such outstanding strategy…" she added, her voice completely coated with sarcasm

Sokka was speechless at first, as she smirked at him, her eyes blazing with cruelty

"W-well… b-but I also made the plans for the Invasion to the Fire Nation! I made the plans for the submarines and vehicles we used!"

"Oh, the Invasion plan…" she repeated, with a crooked smile "That amazing plan in which all the greatest warriors and leaders of the resistance walked like foolish schoolgirls into a full-blown trap, and just a handful of you morons managed to escape"

"Well, that handful of morons was the handful which beat you and your crazy father, wasn't it?!" said Sokka

"And did the handful of morons achieve this thanks to a great strategy you came up with? I don't think so" she said, smirking. She was truly having the time of her life with this discussion; the Water Tribe boy seemed to be about to explode with rage. But, to her surprise, he took a deep breath and appeared to have calmed down in a matter of seconds.

"No, I'm not falling for that again" he declared

"Falling for what, exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"You're doing what you always do" said Sokka "Even if I seem that stupid to you, I'm not so dumb as to keep playing into your hand again and again"

"Interesting… that's similar to what you said before" muttered Azula "What exactly do you think I'm playing with you, if I can ask?"

"Oh, you're not going to like this" said Sokka, smirking "But sure, I'll tell you. See, the deal with you is that you've got layers to who you are; it's as if you switched personalities depending on how threatened you feel"

"What?" said Azula, raising an eyebrow in complete confusion. What on earth was this peasant talking about?

"The first layer is when you use your superiority complex to insult and make fun of everyone you think is inferior to you" said Sokka, smirking "If someone manages to get through all the mockery, they reach layer two! And layer two is your aggressive side; you recur to using force to push away anyone that might be a threat to you!"

Azula stared at him, slightly amused

"I see… it seems you have figured me out completely" she muttered "What's Layer Three? Is it when I become a giant lava monster and burn down the world to prove I own the place?"

"There it is, layer one!" said Sokka "You use sucky comedy to oppose my claims, but you know I'm right!"

"You're one to talk about bad comedy…" she said, rolling her eyes "Do you really believe all you've just said is true, vermin?"

"Well… w-why shouldn't I?" he asked, feeling slightly nervous

"I'll clear up a few things for you, in that case" she said "The reason why I recur to violence is because I don't have enough patience to deal with whoever is pestering me. Even if you don't think so, I do have better things to do than get engaged in fruitless conversations such as this one. And when I don't have anything else to do, I like to play around with the minds of weak people that don't know how to stand for themselves; in other words, people like you. Have I been clear enough, vermin?"

"I think you're lying" he said, proudly "You just don't want to admit I figured you out! HA!"

Azula rolled her eyes and shook her head in desperation

"What must I do to get rid of you? Seriously, at this point I'm willing to try anything…" she muttered, really annoyed

"Of course you want to get rid of me now!" he said, smiling "You can't deal with me anymore because you know I know you better than you thought I did!"

"Let me clarify something, then: even if your 'amazing analysis' had been right, which I don't believe it is, you're still far from knowing ANYTHING about me" she said, in the most serious tone she had used in the entire conversation "So make yourself a favor and leave me be unless you truly are testing me to see when I will run out of patience to deal with you, got it?"

Her stern glare made Sokka wonder if he should actually do just as she told… if his hypothesis was real, she would actually try to reduce him to cinders now. But something told him he should press on. Maybe it was the fact that he actually didn't know anything about Azula… and in all truth, he wanted to know more about her. He wished to understand why had he witnessed her crying twice already, why she kept pushing people away, why she chose a life like this rather than finding a better one, on her own…

"No, I don't get it" he said, just as Azula was about to walk away, relieved to put an end to the conversation.

The Fire Nation's Princess clenched a fist and turned at him, irritated

"Are you trying to show me how stupid you are yet again?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"No… I'm trying to help you" he said "If what I said about the layers isn't true… then even if I annoy the hell out of you, you won't kill me, and you won't walk away either"

"And why shouldn't I?" she asked "I'm bored and annoyed after this conversation, and I have no obligation to stick around you. You're a thick-headed baboon, and if I can't get you to understand what I'm saying, then I'm better off leaving before I actually decide to kill you and rid me of your presence"

"But then I'd be right! And you don't want me to be right, do you?" he said, smiling

"I think the one who doesn't want you to be right… is you" said Azula, smirking "If you happened to be right, I'd end up adding a few more burn marks to your body, if I decide to be merciful rather than slaying you right here and now. And I'll make sure to burn your face and arms and legs this time… that way you won't be able to keep your wounds hidden, and you'll have to explain where the injuries came from"

Sokka frowned and muttered

"But you won't do it… because if you do, I'll be proving to be a smarter person than you are since I made some sense out of what you always do… right?"

Azula rolled her eyes and stared at him in total irritation

"Honestly, don't you have anything better to do? Can't you just LET ME BE?!" she asked, losing her patience completely

"Uh… I could let you be, but the answer to your first question is… nope, I have nothing else to do" he said, shrugging "Besides, it's interesting hanging around you, so I thought I would… Zuko and Iroh surely will spend the entire day boiling more and more tea, and I really don't like tea that much…"

"And what of your dear girlfriend?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow "Why don't you go make her life miserable instead of mine?"

"B-because… she's not around right now… AND I DON'T MAKE HER LIFE MISERABLE!" he yelled, and she suddenly found herself chuckling at his reaction

"Well, well, it seems you have managed to entertain me again" she said, smirking "If you don't make her life miserable, why did she leave you?"

"She had work to do!" said Sokka "You should know about it, didn't Ty Lee tell you?"

"She did, but I figured you would have insisted on going" said Azula, shrugging "What if your beloved Kyoshi Warrior were to fall in love with one of the nobleman's sons while you're not watching her…?"

"W-wha…?! S-She wouldn't! T-there's no way that would happen! Stop messing with my head!" he said, annoyed

"It seems like you trust her much more than she should trust you" muttered Azula, raising an eyebrow

"W-what…? Y-you're not talking about…" he said, feeling a pit in his stomach yet again

"I'm talking about the obvious, you moron" she said "As soon as you realize your girl isn't around, you run to me. Why should she trust you at all if you're obviously hoping to make me… your lover?"

Sokka felt his heart-rate descend drastically at her absurd declarations, and then his blood pressure sped up to twice its regular rate as her statements sunk in.

"Y-you said I wanted to make you my…? DID YOU REALLY JUST SAY THAT?!" he yelled "Why the hell would I want you to be my lover?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"That seems to be the popular belief, actually" said Azula, her smirk growing wider by the minute

"YOU'RE MAD! THERE'S NO WAY I'D EVER WANT YOU LIKE THAT!" he said

"Sure, sure… you would be lucky to have someone like me, you vermin" said Azula, pretending to feel insulted "But indeed, the one who wouldn't agree to be your lover is me. You're not good enough for me"

"Oh, just shut up…" he said, bearing his teeth dangerously. How had he gone from having the upper hand in the conversation to being at her grasp for the thousandth time?

"You're worse than Zuko" muttered Azula, giggling "Just so you know, what I said about you wanting to make me your lover was merely a jest. And the nobleman doesn't have any children, in case you actually believed that too"

"Well, if it hadn't been a joke, you would have been seriously disappointed then" he said "Because no matter what happened between us before, I love Suki! And I'm not giving up on her, let alone betraying her again for someone like you!"

"Such spirited words…" she teased him "But it's too late for acting so proper and loyal, I believe. You already have betrayed her once, so maybe you should say 'I won't betray her for someone like you AGAIN'"

"Ugh, you're a pain in the butt…" he said "But you did it, actually…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Azula, surprised

"You managed to prove you won't kill me if I make you lose your patience… you merely returned to insulting and offending me" he said with a fake smile "You have almost proved my theory wrong!"

"Brilliant! Can I go now, or must I keep annoying you until you finally feel like letting me be?" she asked him, with another fake smile

"You can go anywhere, but I think I'll end up following anyway" he said, shrugging

Azula sighed and stared at him in disbelief

"I have made fun of you in every single way I could, I insulted you and made you seem like a cheating moron, I even teased about you wishing to be involved in a romantic relationship with me, I was really close to firebending you until you dropped dead… and you still want to be around me?"

"Honestly, it's the best thing I can do right now" said Sokka "It's either sticking around with you or moping around this huge Palace with nothing to do. At least I get to talk to someone if I'm with you…"

"Why do you have the need to talk to someone?" asked Azula "If you pester me too much, I might just kill you and make it look like an accident"

"I'll take my chances" muttered Sokka, smiling at her

"You know… there is a word to describe people like you" said Azula, nodding "I can't remember it right now, but I'm sure there's one…"

"Oh…" said Sokka, smiling "Maybe it's brave? Courageous? Inspirational? Handsome?"

Azula clapped as soon as she remembered the right word and smiled happily as she said

"Of course! Masochist!"

Sokka found himself unable to do anything other than stare at her in complete disappointment.

….

Azula was really irritated after seeing herself forced to spend the entire afternoon with the most annoying boy she had ever met. Even after their absurd conversation, she couldn't forget at all about what had happened between them a few weeks before; in fact, the more she talked to Sokka; the more she wondered why she had allowed herself to be swept off her feet by such idiotic peasant… Well, eventually his girlfriend would show up again and he'd forget about her completely, and that was, most certainly, a relief.

"Do you want the last dumpling?" asked Sokka, lifting it in Azula's direction

The Princess frowned in irritation. She still didn't know why had she agreed to have lunch with the blithering idiot… but she had, and now she was paying the consequences.

"Do you think I'm about to accept something you touched so carelessly?" she asked "Don't you know anything about proper etiquette? At least offer me the plate, not the food itself…"

"Uh…" said Sokka, dropping the dumpling on his plate "Do you want it now?"

Azula shook her head, both in shock at seeing his careless actions and to say she didn't want the food

"Suit yourself!" said Sokka, smiling as he ate it in one swift motion

"You're unbelievable" she muttered, bringing a hand to her forehead as she stared on at the landscape.

Sokka smiled in a very lighthearted fashion after he was done eating, happy to have gotten the last piece of the meal. He had been lying down on the floor as he ate, opposite to Azula, who was sitting near a fence from which she could stare at the inner garden of the Palace. It wasn't the very spot she favored to enjoy her meals, but she had insisted that she wouldn't eat with Sokka unless she did it near the garden. He had no problem with fulfilling her request, and so they had eaten their lunch in this manner, but even when he had been so kind as to do what she wanted him to, she still stared at him in disgust after witnessing his non-existing manners when it came to eating… well, when it came to anything, actually. Sokka barely had any manners at all, but even if he had, he would have hidden them in his current situation; he felt more satisfied if he managed to tick her off.

But as he stared at her, he wondered what exactly she would be thinking about. Her stern stance and her unfocused eyes made him wish he could read her mind somehow. Why did he want to know so much? There he was again, feeling that stupid urge of helping her out if she wasn't feeling up to her usual self… She seemed to be perfectly fine, even if she was in a daze! Still… even after all the arguing and the insults, he couldn't get his eyes off her. She was the biggest mystery he had ever seen, and he truly wished to discover the truth behind her serious demeanor…

She wouldn't tell him, though. Surely after what he had done a couple of weeks ago, all possibility of them becoming friends had melted down and vanished completely, and now, as he stared at her, his regrets about that day grew beyond his previous worry of what would happen between him and Suki once his secret and brief affair with Azula was discovered… now what he regretted was blowing all chances to know more about the amazing Princess in front of him. She was so close, but yet, so far, as if in a world different from his. He wanted to know more about her, he wanted to discover what there was beneath the surface… if his theory about layers was wrong, then he wanted to find the truth…

As he stared at her, he realized the feelings he had experienced towards her weren't as far gone as he thought they would be. She was fascinating in a unique way, and she was unreachable too, as a faraway star would be…

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, frowning

Sokka jumped up, startled. He didn't even notice Azula had turned to look at him while he let those rampant and uncontrollable thoughts race his mind

"N-no reason…" he muttered, smiling awkwardly

"Oh, I see" she said, smirking now "You were merely regretting all your previous decisions, weren't you…?"

"Huh? W-what's there to regret…?" he said, gulping. Had she been the one to read his mind?!

"You regret getting involved with your weird Kyoshi Warrior" said Azula, still smirking "You wish you hadn't done that, because now you see how beautiful I am and you wish you hadn't chosen a face-painted peasant such as your current girl"

"Your ego could use a good kick in the butt" he said, shaking his head "You think too highly of yourself, Princess. Royalty should be more humble, if you ask me"

"Why should Royalty be humble?" she asked, raising an eyebrow "You're the one who should keep bowing down to me in humility; you're the peasant after all"

"Wasn't I the 'vermin'?" he asked, crossing his arms

"Oh, I tend to forget…" she said "Excuse me; I'm so used to calling all low-lives peasants that I forget you're even more of a low-life than the others…"

"Well, that makes me special anyway…" he said, smirking, and then he realized something he had ignored completely before "Wait a second… YOU SAID SUKI WAS UGLY?!"

"I implied it" muttered Azula "And I was certain you were completely aware of it; if she wasn't ugly, why would she wear that lame face-paint?"

"It's to honor Avatar Kyoshi!" yelled Sokka "And she's beautiful, with the paint or without it! She's far more beautiful than you are!"

Azula laughed off his statement and shook her head

"If you truly think so, you must be far blinder than your earthbender friend…"

"I'm telling the truth! B-besides, why are you insulting Suki? Is it because… you're jealous of her, by any chance?" he asked, smiling with superiority

"Jealous of what, exactly?" asked Azula, disgusted "Of having a dork such as you for a boyfriend? Of wearing such ridiculous make-up? Of being at my stupid brother's beck and call? I assure you there's no reason why I would feel jealous of your dear girlfriend, whether you believe it or not"

"Maybe you're not jealous because she has me…" said Sokka "Maybe you're jealous because she actually has a couple and you don't!"

"Oh, do you really believe I care so much for something like that?" she asked "Why do people take me for one of those typical girls who have as their one goal in life to get a boyfriend?"

"It doesn't have to be your one goal in life…" said Sokka, rolling his eyes "But maybe you just wish you had one! That way you'd have someone else to boss around!"

"I boss you around and you're not my boyfriend" she said, smirking "Why would I need one for such simple purpose?"

"Fine, you don't want one…" said Sokka, rolling his eyes "But what if you could choose the right guy for you? What would he be like?"

"Why do you care about that?" she asked, surprised

"I'm just curious" he said, smiling "It's not as if it was my dying wish to find out… it's mere curiosity!"

"How do I know you won't make wrong use of this information…?" she asked, absolutely distrustful

"Oh, come on…" he said "What could I possibly do with it?"

"I guess you couldn't do much, since you're not too resourceful…" she said, shrugging, and irritating Sokka a little with her comment "Fine, fine… Let me think. If I were to pick a man, he should have tan skin…"

Sokka smirked

"That sounds familiar…"

Azula narrowed her eyes and sent a killer stare his way, freezing him in the spot

"Don't flatter yourself, you vermin. He would also have to be strong and well-built, and seeing as you're neither, you can kiss goodbye your hopes of having me fall for you"

"Oh, the tragedy…" he said, shaking his head in fake sadness

"He would also have to be a firebender; I wouldn't stand for anything else" she muttered "He'd have to be strong enough to fight me equally, or else he'll end up burned to the ground in our training fights"

"Training fights? What the hell is with that?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow

"Isn't it obvious? Wouldn't you have a partner who would spar with you on equal terms?" she asked "There should be more to a relationship than affection and stupidity, if you ask me"

"Whatever…" said Sokka, shaking a hand in a gesture of carelessness

"He should have long hair; for some reason I don't like men with short hair…" she muttered "And he should be on par with me in matters concerning intelligence, stealth, strategy and every single talent I'm proud of having. He should prove to be a challenge for me, that's the only way I could actually be interested in a man"

"Huh… tough luck finding a guy like that" said Sokka, shrugging "But hey, I am much stronger now! Look at my arms!" he said, flexing his right arm… and his muscles hardly got tense at all, even when he was doing his best to show off his strength.

Azula saw his futile attempt to prove his musculature, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything other than laugh whole-heartedly at him, to Sokka's total surprise. He hadn't actually expected to impress her with his muscles; he knew he wasn't too strong just yet. He had worked out a lot during his free time, and he was considerably burlier than he used to be back when he was at the South Pole, but it didn't change the fact that his psyche was definitely disappointing…

But for some reason, he didn't feel particularly mad at seeing her laugh at him in this manner. Actually, her laughter was somehow moving; for once she didn't seem to just be smirking maliciously at him and mocking him, she was truly laughing without any restraints or evil intentions, just laughing in a peaceful and happy manner. He had already seen the true Azula when he had witnessed her crying on those two occasions… but he never imagined he would live to see the complete opposite side of the Princess. Her laugh was pure, as if she were truly experiencing nothing other than happiness…

She finally recomposed herself and looked at Sokka, who was smiling at her. His calm and soothing expression surprised her; he was staring at her with the very same eyes he had seen her with back when he had kissed her.

She felt as if snakes were twisting up inside her body, nervousness took control of her as a mild blush colored her cheeks.

"W-why are you looking at me like that…?" she asked, embarrassed. His stare was so intense it was suffocating her

"Oh, sorry… didn't mean to bother you" he said, returning to his usual attitude

"S-shouldn't you have been mad at the way I laughed at you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"Oh, I guess I should… but I won't" he said, shrugging "I know I'm not that strong even if I want to look as if I were"

"Right…" muttered Azula, still mildly embarrassed as she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

He was always such a dumb and irritating peasant, he had done nothing but annoy her for the whole day; she had gotten back at him by criticizing and insulting him as she always did, but with only turning his eyes kindly at her, he had crumbled her world to pieces yet again…

_Just when it appears the red string's effect is at its weakest, it can come back with the strength of a wave crashing against the shore. Its power is overwhelming; it can shape the lovers' heart and render them defenseless against the greatest force there is: love._


	9. 9: Stay (Be The One)

"So... what are we going to do now?" asked Sokka, getting up and leaning down on the fence Azula was sitting next to.

"You could finally let me be, I think…" she muttered, still mildly flustered "I have entertained you enough, haven't I?"

"But the sun is barely setting…" said Sokka "Suki won't be back in hours"

"This is seriously insulting" said Azula, staring at him in irritation "Am I really supposed to be your distraction while you wait for your girlfriend to come home?"

"I know it looks really bad…" he said, sighing "But let's be honest: what else would you be doing if you weren't putting up with me?"

Azula frowned and folded her arms

"What I do is my own business, vermin. Stop prying into what doesn't concern you"

"Well, that sounds to me like you truly don't have anything else to do!" he said, smirking "Come on, hanging with me isn't that bad, you've had your share of fun! You even laughed just now, and I could tell you were laughing for real!"

"Do I ever let out fake laughs…?" she muttered, but she blushed slightly again. She couldn't forget the intensity of his eyes, no matter how hard she tried…

"That's not my point, but whatever! Let's talk about something interesting!" he said, smiling

"Like what?" she asked "There's nothing to talk about… why can't you just run to the shore and wait for your girlfriend there?"

"Because I just felt like knowing more about you" he said "Yep, that's why! Talk to me about yourself! It might do you good, you never know!"

Azula stared at him in disbelief

"You really are an absolute idiot, aren't you?" she asked "I'm not going to talk about myself, let alone to someone like you"

"You don't trust me at all, do you…?" he muttered, scratching his head

"Do you really need to ask that?" she said, glaring at him

Sokka sighed and shrugged

"Fine, fine… Just answer one question, the one I want to ask the most, and I'll let you be… for about ten minutes, how's that?"

Azula shook her head in annoyance. Well, at least it would be ten minutes of peace…

"It depends on the question" she muttered

"It's something I really want to know…" he said, apparently deeply focused as he looked at her intently "What's your favorite food?"

Azula found herself stoned after such ridiculous question. She raised an eyebrow and stared at him with even more disbelief

"What?" she asked, in shock "My favorite food…?"

"Well, that's something you can tell me about!" he said, smiling

"You truly are at a loss for a good subject to talk about, aren't you?" she asked, shaking her head

"Food is always a good subject to talk about, Princess" he said, smiling with arrogance.

Azula found herself chuckling again. For some reason, this moron was actually funnier than she thought he would be… in normal circumstances, she would only laugh at other people's misfortune, not at stupid jokes…

"Well then, what's your favorite? It's not as if it were confidential information, is it?" he asked, smiling at having made her laugh again. He felt something within him jump at the sight, and also at the thought of being the one who could make her smile like this…

"It isn't, I guess…" she muttered "But I rather doubt you'd know what it is if I told you"

"Should this be a guessing game, then?" he asked "Is it a Fire Nation dish?"

"Of course" said Azula "I didn't enjoy Earth Kingdom food while I was abroad, and I don't even want to imagine what Water Tribe food is like…"

"Oh, it's not so bad" said Sokka "But I like Fire Nation food better. Back when we were fighting the Fire Nation, I was seriously troubled because I wanted to hate all about the Fire Nation… but the food was just so great I couldn't hate it!"

"I'm surprised" she said, smirking "It does seem like you have a better taste than I expected you to have. You can tell apart bad tea from real tea, you know Fire Nation cuisine is the best food around… Even if I hate to admit it, you're proving to be a much more refined peasant than I thought you were"

"Heh, I am impressive, aren't I?" said Sokka, smirking

"And then you say my ego is out of control…" muttered Azula "Just because I called you refined it doesn't mean I actually said you're anything other than a peasant"

"I'm fine with that" said Sokka "Because for some reason, you're just calling me peasant rather than vermin. I feel like I've progressed somewhat, haven't I?"

Azula froze and sighed, shrugging as she muttered

"Indeed, you have. You're back to being a peasant now. Congratulations"

"Thank you, Princess! I'll make the most of this upgrade!" he said with sarcasm, and she rolled her eyes "Anyhow, don't change the subject! What's your favorite food?"

"I'm certain you mustn't know of it" she said, folding her arms "But nonetheless, I guess I will tell you. As far as I know, my favorite food is something that is only made for Royalty, so don't be too amazed if you haven't heard of it. It's called… Hot Cheetos"

"Hot WHAT?" asked Sokka, frowning "What on earth is that?"

"You wouldn't know" said Azula, shrugging "I'm not even entirely sure of how they're done, but there's something about those little crunchy snacks… I just can't get enough of them"

Sokka scratched his head, confused

"Can I get some of those? I'd like to know what they are…"

"I told you they are only reserved for the Royalty" said Azula, smirking "So forget about it"

"Oh, that's not fair… Toph and I have nicked tons of food from the kitchen and we never saw your 'cheetos'…"

"The kitchen staff doesn't make them too often, but when they do, it's the best day of the month" she said proudly, smiling at the thought of her most beloved snack.

"Oh, well, I'll steal some one day" said Sokka, smirking

"You'd better not steal from mine" she growled "Take Zuko's; he's never liked them as much as I do"

"I guess I'll do that" said Sokka, smiling as he stared at the sky with interest.

They remained silent for a while, which surprised Azula. She hadn't actually expected him to be able to keep his mouth shut for ten minutes… and the weirdest part was that she really didn't want him to. She kept glancing at him from time to time, wondering if he would actually keep to his word… and wondering if he would look at her again with those dazzling blue eyes… And that was when she stopped on her tracks and shook her head in embarrassment. His DAZZLING blue eyes?! What was so dazzling about them? They were just blue! They were just eyes! He was nothing but a peasant, so there was no reason why she should be thinking about him in this manner at all!

Sokka caught sight of her strange fidgeting right next to him, and he raised an eyebrow as he eyed her in curiosity. Azula had gone from being relaxed and calm to being cranky and moody again… why? He hadn't said anything, just as he had promised he wouldn't…

"Are you okay?" he asked her, taking her by surprise

"Of course!" she said, trying to return to normal and failing poorly at it "W-what about you? What are you staring at?"

"Just at the sky" he said, smiling "I was wondering… don't you guys have a better view somewhere? I mean, this is the Royal Palace, and I think this will be an amazing sunset… isn't there anywhere else from where I could watch it?"

Azula didn't even need to think about his request. She smirked and nodded, getting up from her chair

"Follow me. I know the perfect place"

Sokka was surprised to see her so keen to actually go through with one of his requests. Up until now she had mostly refused to do anything, and only accepted with a frown on her face. This time, though, she seemed more than ready to do what he asked her… was there an ulterior motive for this? Or was she truly acting out of her heart's good intentions? The second option seemed very unlikely…

….

"Are… we… there… yet?" asked Sokka, panting as he tried to keep up to Azula's pace

After stopping at her room (she didn't let Sokka in, of course) to look for a certain key, Azula had led Sokka to the main wing of the Palace. Sokka had been slightly scared while walking into the grand Throne Room, he felt intimidated just by imagining how many Fire Nation Royals had been in this very place, plotting cruel acts to diminish people such as himself… but Azula's steady pace ensured he would follow her, and after sneaking behind the Throne Room, they found a very long staircase that spiraled so far upwards that Sokka couldn't even see the ceiling

And they had spent what felt like hours walking up the stairs. Both were worn out and tired, although Azula didn't show it as much as Sokka did. The Water Tribe boy kept stopping every forty steps or so, but she forced him to continue each time, not caring at all about how tired he was.

"Just… a little farther…" she muttered, wiping some sweat from her brow

"Are you… j-just going to… knock me down when… w-when we're all the way up?" asked Sokka, stopping again

"If you keep talking, you'll tire yourself even faster…" she said, still moving forward despite feeling her legs ache in protest to the extreme exercise they had been submitted to.

"B-but this is more… t-than I bargained for…" he said

"It's worth the trip…" she said "You'll see…"

Azula kept walking, trying to ignore her exhaustion. She tried not to focus much on what she was doing, but it was hard to distract her mind when she had almost walked two thousand steps upwards…

Finally, the doorway she had been waiting to see appeared in front of her. Azula couldn't help but smile in relief as she panted and rested, using a wall as support as she regained her breath. Right behind her, Sokka crawled step by step. His legs had ended up giving way a few flights of stairs below and he had resorted to lifting himself with his arms… which proved to be more difficult than walking, but his feet were too numb to be used anymore.

"Is… this it..?" he asked, as he finished climbing the last step

"Yes…" panted Azula, nodding "We're here. I just hope… we didn't miss it because of… because of how long it took us to make it up here…"

"This was… a really bad idea…" he said "I'm so tired… I don't think I'll enjoy anything… about the sunset… at all…"

Azula took out the key she had taken from her room and opened the door after struggling with the old and rusty lock. No one had been to the highest room of the Palace in years.

"Come on, peasant…" she said "You didn't come all this way for nothing…"

"N-no, I guess I didn't…" he muttered, crawling and forcing himself to stand up.

His legs were trembling as he walked towards the room; he sure hoped there was a chair or something of the sort inside…

But he was completely surprised to see an amazing assortment of furniture, jewels and valuable collectibles within the room; he even found himself forgetting completely about how rough the journey had been at the sight of such incredible amount of riches.

"W-what is this…?" he said, staring at everything with wide open eyes

"You could consider it the storage room for some of the most valuable properties of the Royal Family" said Azula "Now I think about it, you really shouldn't be here"

"This is… this is amazing…" he muttered. Several figures seemed to have been carved out of pure gold; they even appeared to have a glow of their own. He had never been around such expensive objects; not even during his time at the Royal Palace of Ba Sing Se had he witnessed such a vast collection of treasures.

"Yes, I'm sure it is, peasant" said Azula "Don't even think about taking anything or else I'll make sure to kill you this time"

"I… I wasn't going to take anything…" he said "What would I do with any of this? How would I explain having such expensive stuff?"

"Oh, you can try to trick people into believing you are related to the Northern Water Tribe's Royalty and that whatever you steal from here is your heirloom" she mocked him "I'm sure they will fall for that"

"Ha ha" he said, frowning

"Are you going to spend all your time looking at the goods, or are you going to do what you wanted to in the first place?" asked Azula.

Sokka only realized she had walked through the mountains of treasures and opened up another door at the other end of the room. He followed her, his legs still shivering; once he had made it all the way to where Azula was Sokka found himself in a small balcony from which he had the most amazing view of the Capital… and of the sun that sunk in the horizon slowly, giving the most impressive shades of color to the usual blue in the skies. The clouds were also dyed with a mixture of purple and orange; the sun's rays were touching the ground for the last time on this day.

"Wow…" said Sokka, admiring the landscape with complete awe.

"Didn't I tell you I knew the perfect place for this?" said Azula, smirking

"You were right…" he said "I… I hadn't seen a sunset like this one ever before! And I got to see a lot of sunsets as I rode around the world on a fuzzy flying bison..."

"You were lucky to have asked on a day without too many clouds" said Azula "At times they block the sun completely, and there's not much to witness at all…"

Sokka looked down at the city, thinking he was lucky not to be frightened of heights; the tower was far taller than he thought it was, but it gave him the greatest view he had ever imagined he could get of the Fire Nation Capital without being on top of Appa.

"I'm amazed you actually let me see this…" muttered Sokka

"So am I" said Azula "It's not as if you're allowed to be up here"

"Why did you bring me if it's against the rules?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

"Because I was bored, and this seemed the most entertaining activity we could do" she said, her eyes fixed on the sun.

Sokka smiled slightly after hearing her talk about entertaining activities. He remembered his visit to the North Pole and his clumsy attempts to court Princess Yue…

"What's so funny?" asked Azula, staring at him in confusion

"Oh, it's nothing…" said Sokka "I'm just reminiscing about a few things…"

For the first time, Azula wondered if there was much more to this boy than what met the eye. Rather than looking at the sunset, she found herself far keener to look at him, at the way the sun bathed his figure as he leaned on the balcony to stare at the landscape with more ease.

"Do you come here often?" asked Sokka

"No, not really" she said "Nobody does. Walking up so many stairs for the sole purpose of taking a glance at the city isn't something enjoyable for too many; including me. Even if staring down at the city as the sun fades away is a sight to behold, it's not worth the trip"

"Maybe not always" said Sokka, smiling "But I think it was worth it today. Thanks for doing this for me"

"I didn't do it for you" she muttered, slightly embarrassed "I just did it… It wasn't for anyone's sake"

"Whatever, you proud and silly Princess…" he said, teasing her

"Shut your mouth or I'll knock you down the balcony…" she muttered while trying to keep her blush at bay

Sokka laughed but decided not to take any more chances with Azula. For all he knew, she really might knock him down.

The sun continued with its slow but constant movement, and its rays stopped reaching the city eventually. Soon, only the central tower was being touched by its light

"This is really priceless" said Sokka, smiling "It's nearly more valuable than all the treasures you have here"

"I'm sure most people would say the opposite" said Azula, smirking "Who cares about a pretty landscape when you're surrounded by mounds of gold?"

"I don't care that much about the mounds of gold" he said "It's really impressive, I'll give you that, but all in all, it's just going to stay here for ages, right? A sunset like this one… I'm sure I won't see one like it ever again; because I'm sure you won't be letting me up here again… right?"

"Probably not" said Azula, shrugging "Maybe you could ask Zuko to bring you up here whenever you feel like seeing the setting sun. I'm sure it would be hilarious to have him climb so many stairs; he's so whiny and stuck-up he would never admit to being tired even if he was drenched in sweat"

"Well, he is in better physical shape than I am" muttered Sokka with an awkward smile "Maybe he could make it all the way up here without suffering so much…"

"That's unlikely" said Azula, shaking her head "The reason why nobody comes up here is because walking up such steep stairs is unbearable for nearly anyone; not even my father had the guts to come up here more often than once a month"

"Really?" asked Sokka, surprised

"That's the reason why we don't even bother being worried about getting robbed" said Azula "By the time you make it up and down the stairs, you would be too worn out to run off with whatever you stole"

"Huh… well, you still have guards on every door, so they'd be bound to notice if someone is taking something that doesn't belong to them, right?" he asked

"Indeed" said Azula.

The sun had already vanished in the horizon, weak rays of light were still visible, but they faded slowly with each second that passed by. Sokka looked up towards the sky and noticed the stars were beginning to shine now; the moon was bound to rise as well at some point. But for once, his attention wasn't drawn to find the beautiful white orb; he focused on two small dots far away in the sky that sparkled mildly every now and then, but nevertheless, their colors were considerably steady, and Sokka was quite surprised to see one of the stars was blue and the other was red. Was it a coincidence for him to focus on stars like that in a moment like this? He turned to his companion, whose eyes were fixed on the city that spread below them. Sokka smiled, wondering if the two stars were looking down on the world in the same way he and Azula were staring down at the city…

"Why are you smiling like that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"No reason" he said, smiling even more "Say, have you ever done stargazing over here?"

"Didn't I just tell you that barely anyone comes here? I must have climbed those stairs like three times in my entire life, taking this one into account"

"Oh, well…" said Sokka, shrugging "What about if we just stay here and watch the stars as they pop up on the sky?"

"Seriously?" she asked "I don't know about that. You can see stars perfectly well from the ground, can't you?"

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of heights?" he asked, smirking

"I'm not afraid of anything, you pathetic peasant" she said, irritated "I'm already bored. So I'm going to leave, and if you don't come with me, I'll lock you up inside this room so you can rot here for the rest of your days"

"You're as sweet as ever…" said Sokka, rolling his eyes as he followed her outside the room.

He took a quick glance at the landscape one last time before leaving, letting his eyes focus on the two stars again just for a little while. He smiled and exited the room, which Azula locked quickly as soon as he was outside.

"So… what now?" he asked as he began walking down the stairs

"Now you go to the Main Gate and wait until your girl shows up" she said, following him

"Will you wait for Ty Lee there too?" he asked, turning to face her as he slowed down to walk the stairs right next to her

"Of course not" said Azula, rolling her eyes "I'm saying this so that I can get rid of you, finally"

"Yeah, right" he said, smiling "You know you had a great time with me, no matter how much you deny it"

Azula stared at him in annoyance and he grinned stupidly. She shook her head, but she couldn't hide a smile of her own.

"What are you going to do now, Princess?" asked Sokka, putting his hands behind his head "Come on, you can tell me! It's better to be accompanied than to be all on your own!"

"I'm perfectly fine on my own, peasant" she muttered "And I was going to head out and practice some firebending. I would be rejoiced if you wished to join me, I would love to mark your entire body with burn marks, I'm sure it'll be fun to chase you all over the yard while throwing fire and thunderbolts at you" she said, adding one of her trademark smirks at the end of the sentence

"I'm not very enthusiastic about that…" he said, grimacing "But what about we actually train together? How does that sound?"

"Um… ridiculous, maybe?" she said, raising an eyebrow

"Don't be so cruel!" he said, smiling "I can show you how to use a sword!"

The idea was surprisingly appealing for Azula, which amazed Sokka. She eyed him with interest at first, as if pondering the alternatives… and then she smirked

"I'll take you up on that offer, peasant"

It took them almost another half an hour to make it down to the first floor of the Palace; they weren't as exhausted this time because going down wasn't as tiring as going up. They had discussed about how Sokka would teach Azula, and if there were any suitable swords around. By the time were out of the tower, Azula walked to a weapon storage on the grounds and extracted a couple of wooden swords, to Sokka's relief, and they were all set to begin their training

"Alright, Princess!" said Sokka, smiling as he held up his weapon "First of all, you must think of the sword as an extension of your arm!"

Azula raised the wooden sword with mild dislike. Something as nasty as this sword could never be an extension of any part of herself… but if she were to learn how to master this new weapon, she should follow the orders of the master

"You should know that the sword is the most versatile of weapons!" he said proudly, as he made an exaggerated movement just to show off his skill "And the sword is as limitless as your imagination!"

"I disagree there, _Sifu _Peasant" she said, smirking at him "Firebending seems far more versatile to me, and I see the limits of this sword with my very eyes, it's not 'limitless'"

"I… I meant the possibilities are limitless!" he said, frowning "And you should know to stamp your identity with your sword, that's what you do with it! Do you stamp your identity with your silly fire?"

"Ask your abdomen, I'm sure he will tell you the answer" she muttered, her smirk growing wider by the minute

Sokka twitched with annoyance and shook his head, even more irritated

"You know what? I'll just teach you the movements. I'm sure I won't get at anything by trying to talk to you"

"A good decision indeed" she said, nodding in agreement

They spent hours as Sokka taught her how to move while using a sword. Azula wasn't used to holding a weapon other than her firebending or her lightning, but she managed to understand and make use of his teachings in a matter of a few minutes. Sokka was actually dismayed to see her prove to be such a talented student; she was by far a much better learner than he was. Still, he smiled as he realized he had been the one she had taken after, each and every move she made he had taught to her.

After performing the most difficult routine out of the ones Sokka had taught her, he smiled in approval

"Well done, my pupil!" he said "Now… how about a good sparring match? You have pulled off the theory properly… it's time for you to show me if you can stand the real deal!"

Azula nodded in agreement and faced him, holding her wooden sword with determination. Sokka walked to her and attacked in a very passive manner, trying to ensure the training would stay on the safe side… until Azula attempted to stab him on the chest. He realized there was no point in being gentle because it was her first fight, he would have to give it his all to stay above her.

They sparred under the moonlight, trying to prove superior to the other in some manner, but to the dismay of both of them, they seemed to be equally matched. Azula's quick learning rivaled perfectly with Sokka's experience, even when he hadn't fought with a sword in a very long time. Azula suddenly found herself staring at his eyes rather than his attacks, wondering why he looked so genuinely happy to fight her… even when they were trying to do their best to overpower the other at first, he had slowly forgotten all about their competition and he just seemed to be enjoying himself completely…

And to her surprise, his calm and cheerful demeanor happened to be contagious. She stopped striving for victory, enjoying the sparring from the bottom of her heart. Sokka performed an array of four consecutive strikes at her, and she managed to block them perfectly just to swing her sword towards his head, but he protected himself from the attack as well. She twirled around to avoid another of his jabs, but Sokka moved forward just in the right moment to trip her, and the two of them ended up falling on the floor, laughing.

Sokka untangled his foot from Azula's ankles and smiled at her. She seemed completely amused after their strange fight, especially after the ridiculous way it had ended

"I guess that's another tie, isn't it?" he asked, smiling

"Shame on you" she said, supporting herself with her elbows to sit up again "You're the experienced one, and yet I happened to match you equally on our very first encounter"

"Believe me, I'm not proud of it" he said, shrugging "But it's not my fault you're such a quick learner"

She smirked and corrected him

"It has been said several times that I'm a prodigy, just in case you were wondering"

"And there it goes again! Brutal ego boost!" he said "If your ego could carry you, you would be soaring the heavens by now!"

"I have every right to brag" she said, giggling "Everyone boasts about their skills, why shouldn't I do the same?"

"Because it's annoying" he said "Most people brag about things that aren't true… but you brag about things I can't counter because they are true, you evil prodigy"

"Just acknowledge you're completely powerless against me, will you?" she said, staring at him in the eyes

"I might as well do that" he muttered, smiling at her.

They looked straight at each other, without even realizing how a bond was being formed between them after spending an entire day around the other. Maybe they had fought and argued during most of the time, but neither would deny it: they had had the time of their lives today. And now they found themselves lost within the other's gaze, pulled by a force of attraction stronger than anything they had experienced before…

"Master Sokka! Master Sokka!" yelled a servant, breaking the atmosphere between both teenagers without a care in the world.

The magical moment in which their gazes had joined together fell apart, bringing both of them back to reality with a jolt. Sokka jumped up and turned towards the servant that had called him, the very same one that had waked him up a few weeks ago.

"W-what's the matter?" he asked, totally distraught after being lost in Azula's amber eyes only a second before

"The Kyoshi Warriors are back, sir! I was told I should inform you immediately!"

Sokka's eyes widened in shock. At this point he had almost forgotten completely about Suki's return… He turned towards Azula, who was also standing up.

"Shall we?" he asked

"Not really" she said "You and I showing up together might cause suspicion and issues I would rather avoid… so just go. I'll meet with Ty Lee later"

"Uh… okay" he muttered "Hey, before I go… I think I should tell you that I had a great time today. You get under my skin with most of what you say, and you make me lose my temper all the time, but… I really enjoyed spending the day with you"

Azula felt a blush creeping up her face yet again, she couldn't lie this time and claim she was glad to finally be rid of him… she truly had liked spending a day in his company.

"Right… just go, your girlfriend will think there's something wrong with you if you don't run to her immediately…" she muttered, avoiding looking at him again.

"Thanks for everything!" he said, smiling, and he raced towards the Main Gate as quickly as possible.

Azula was almost glad he was gone; she feared he might have realized how her heartbeats kept accelerating each time their eyes met, judging by how hard her heart was beating. And that very last time she had looked deep into his eyes had been vexing, intoxicating even…

She found herself walking all the way to the Main Gate as well, wondering if he had already joined his girlfriend. She thought that maybe seeing him acting all mushy and stupid with the Kyoshi Warrior might make her strange fixation upon him vanish… but she was proven wrong completely when she finally made it to the Gate.

She stood on the shadows, merely watching as the Kyoshi Warriors walked towards their building, all of them too tired to waste time witnessing the wonderful reunion between their leader and her lover. They walked by her without even noticing her, she didn't pay any attention to them either, her eyes fixated upon the scene. Sokka had run up to Suki and hugged her with so much enthusiasm he had lifted her off the ground. She was laughing happily as she surrounded his neck with her arms, thrilled to see him again.

Azula couldn't do anything other than sigh at the sight. For a very long time she had obtained everything she could have wished for, she only had to name it and she would get it. Eventually things turned around and she lost all she cared about, but it seemed as if things would improve if she only gave it time… But now she realized that she was facing the worst situation she would have ever envisioned. She had always claimed she wouldn't be infatuated with anyone in her entire life after all, and that was the reason why she hadn't even imagined this unplanned turn of events:

She had fallen in love with the one man she could never have.

_Pain and disappointment are bound to be expected when falling in love; there are no perfect and flawless relationships; it's unlikely for two people to find love in each other at once. Nevertheless, the red string of fate will ensure to turn what at first seems to be a simple infatuation into true, undying love._

**A/N:**

**I haven't done any notes on this fic, but I felt obliged to do it this time… because I'm sure most of you thought that the "Flaming Hot Cheetos" made no sense whatsoever XD well, I wasn't the one who came up with that! I asked Grey DeLisle on my personal Twitter account what Azula's favorite food was, and that's the reply I got xD random? Sure, but if Grey says so, its canon! XD If you want a screenshot of what she said, I'm perfectly willing to show you XD Flamin' Hot Cheetos FTW!**


	10. 10: Fall to Pieces

The next day, Sokka spent it with Suki. She told him about her boring trip to Ember Island, how annoying it had been to guard something as pointless as that particular meeting, and how the ship that was supposed to bring them back had broken down right before setting out towards the Capital again. By the time she was done talking about her feats, it was already past mid-day, and they were laying next to each other on a terrace of the Palace, enjoying the sunlight that was bathing them

"So… what about your day?" she asked "You haven't said anything about it… Was it that bad?"

"Oh, it actually wasn't…" he said, smiling a little

"Really?" asked Suki "What did you do?"

"Well, at first I just wandered around the Palace… and then I ran into Zuko and went to watch Azula and Iroh's Pai Sho match. And after that, I actually played against her twice! I only managed a tie and a loss, but we were almost evenly matched, even if she says we weren't!"

Suki seemed surprised to see Sokka as enthusiastic as he was at having dealt with Azula; normally he would only be bitter about her… maybe he was cheerful because he had managed to stay at the Princess's level?

"Sounds like quite a feat" she said, smiling at him "And then? Did you spend the entire day playing?"

"Not really…" he said "I actually stuck to her for the rest of the day, even if it surprises you. But there's no need for you to worry, all we did was argue with each other…"

"Um… I wasn't worried…" she said, raising an eyebrow "But if I had been, was there something I should be worried about?"

"Uh? Well, m-maybe you thought she would kill me or something…" he improvised, noticing that it hadn't been a good idea to mention Azula at all…

"True… why didn't she?" asked Suki, frowning "It doesn't sound much like her at all…"

"S-she probably just felt a little lonely…" he said "And bad company is better than no company at all!"

Suki laughed and hugged him

"If she thinks you're bad company, she's crazier than I thought" she muttered, closing her eyes as she cuddled with him

Sokka wondered if he would never be able to enjoy really happy times with Suki again without having them splattered by guilt and deception. Living while immersed in such misery, tension and angst didn't do any good to anyone, especially to him. Just holding her made him feel like the worst man in the world… why couldn't he tell her? Why couldn't he find the courage within himself to explain the truth to Suki?

"Say… there's something I wanted to ask you…" she muttered, causing him to grow even more nervous

"What is it?" he said, gulping

Suki ran her hand down to Sokka's abdominal zone and she stroked it casually, noticing the bandages underneath his clothes

"What happened to you?" she muttered, looking at him straight in the eyes

Sokka was surprised to know she had noticed his wounds even after he had tried so hard to conceal them. The way she stared at him made him realize she was genuinely concerned, and that she had been for a while now. For how long had she known he was hurt but kept her concerns to herself?

"Y-you mean… that?" he asked, pointing at his wounded area

"Of course" she muttered, lowering her gaze towards his stomach again. She opened slightly the shirt and revealed the bandages that covered him, and she turned her eyes back towards him "What happened? Who hurt you like this?"

After what had happened when he had mentioned Azula previously, Sokka's instincts pushed him away from the path of the truth. If he dared tell Suki about all of what there was between him and Azula, he'd pay it dearly. Everything about his affair with the Fire Princess was a blur even for him, he was unable to tell if they were friends or foes... so, against his conscience's wishes, he merely laughed and smiled, trying to lull her into a very false sense of security.

"Oh, it's nothing you should be worried about, seriously!" he said, patting her on the shoulder "You see, back when you still were abroad at the Earth Kingdom, Zuko asked me to help him in his firebending training... And things got out of hand and I got hurt, but I visited the Palace's physician as quickly as possible and he healed me before my injuries got worse"

"Then... they don't hurt anymore, do they?" she asked "Can I take a look at them?"

"Uh... I guess you can" muttered Sokka, assuming there was nothing about his wounds that would prove he had lied to her

He loosened his shirt and untied the binds around his abdomen, leaving his burn marks in plain sight. Suki couldn't help but let out a cry of horror after seeing such deep burns; he most definitely would be scarred by them for the rest of his life.

"This is awful! Is Zuko crazy? How could he hurt you like this?!" she said, astonished

"Don't blame him, I was the one who told him not to hold back" said Sokka, smiling "It's my fault for not dodging his attacks properly..."

Suki was still staring at the wounds, horrified. But suddenly she realized there was a patern to the burn marks: there were two zones in which the wounds were deeper; in fact, it seemed as if whatever fire had burned him had been striking him right under both sides of his ribcage. She could easily imagine someone blasting fire at Sokka repeatedly on the very same spots, making them as dark and swollen as they looked... but if her intuition was dead-on, Sokka's story wouldn't make any sense at all. If Zuko had burned him by accident, he wouldn't have shot fire at him more than once... and she fell upon a realization that made her feel as if stabbed on the back:

He was lying to her. Sokka, the wonderful boy she trusted with every fiber of her being, had lied to her. Why? What made him feel the need to hide the truth from her? Was he trying to protect her from something, or was he simply hiding a terrible secret from her?

She looked at him again, trying to keep her feelings of betrayal from showing up on her face. Why would he feel the need to lie to her?

"So... Zuko did this..." she muttered, and Sokka nodded

"Don't worry, it's not half as bad as it looks" he said, wrapping up his wounds in bandages again "It doesn't hurt that much anymore"

"I see..." she said, still trying to hide her disappointment. She felt as if her world was crumbling down on her; she could face deadly monsters, armies and powerful benders, but the one thing she couldn't stand was being lied to in this manner, by the man she had been sure would never ever hurt her... She forced a smile and sat next to him again, seeking to change the subject before finding herself prone to submit him to a very painful interrogation "Speaking of Zuko... he summoned me for a meeting this morning"

"Wait, what?!" he said, sitting up and staring at her in disbelief "You're not being sent on another mission, are you?!"

"No, that's not it" said Suki, smiling "He has been doing something for about a year now, something that was never done before by any other Fire Lord: he lets all the servants take a day off"

"Huh?" muttered Sokka "Sounds a little weird... why does he do that?"

"It's his way of thanking us for all our hard work" she said "He does it every three months, I think. He loads us all in a huge Fire Nation Cruise, reserved only for the servants for the day, and we waste away the whole day doing nothing but playing around and traveling through the best locations on the Fire Nation. It's a lot of fun, if you want to hear my honest opinion"

"It doesn't sound half bad" agreed Sokka "I bet the ship must be very luxurious..."

"It is" said Suki, smiling "So... I guess you're coming with us, right?"

"So I can come?" he asked, surprised "I thought you had said it was for servants..."

"I'm not actually a servant" she said, frowning "A bodyguard, that's what I am"

"Well, technical aspects aside, you're still working for Zuko" replied Sokka "I'm not working for anyone nowadays, not even for myself. Are you sure I can come?"

"Zuko himself goes on the trip" said Suki "Why shouldn't you go?"

"Because I'm not the Fire Lord...?" he said, smiling "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go, but I fear Zuko will knock me off the deck of the ship if he decides he doesn't want me there..."

"Don't be silly" she said "Even if you annoy him, he wouldn't do that! Besides, the least he can do after burning you would be letting you tag along on this small vacation, right?"

"Right" he said, smiling in a very unconvincing manner.

Suki also tried her best to smile, but she didn't manage to show true happiness with her grin. To hide her uncertainties, she decided to hug him one more time, and he surrounded her with his arms. For how long had he been lying to her? When had the trust between them vanished just as smoke blended with air? The doubts within Suki even made her feel like crying, but she didn't want to worry Sokka. Besides, for all she knew, her analysis might be wrong and he might have been saying the truth… right?

…

Sokka woke up peacefully, to his surprise. He lay in bed for almost fifteen minutes as he waited for his entire body to be ready for action, and he just let his mind wander as he came to his senses...

He yawned noisily once he decided to get a move on, and he sat up on the bed while rubbing his eyes. It felt like the first time in a while since he had managed to rest properly: servants would always come to wake him for breakfast at 8:30 in the morning, never letting him sleep any longer than that. But today felt different... there was something odd about this morning. He got off the bed and looked for a change of clothes; but while he was dressing up, he noticed there was a note on his nightstand.

Sokka picked it up right after buckling his belt and he read it with a confused look on his face:

_"My Dear Sokka_

_I tried to wake you up, but you were sleeping so deeply that I didn't have the heart to force you to get up. All the servants and us, the Kyoshi Warriors, will probably have already gone to the Cruise I told you about by the time you're awake, but don't fret, there's enough food in the kitchen, you'll manage to survive on your own. Iroh and Zuko came along with us too, so I guess you'll have the Palace for yourself. Don't do anything out of line, I beg you! Take good care of yourself; we'll probably return around midnight so it's okay if you decide to go sleep instead of waiting for us to arrive. See you tomorrow!_

_Love, Suki"_

Sokka stared at the note in disbelief. They had left without him! Was he that much of a heavy sleeper that Suki couldn't wake him up? Wait... if the servants could do it, how come didn't she ask one of them if she wanted him to go with her? A frown spread through his features as he tried to make some sense out of what was happening. Had Suki decided to leave him behind? The thought bothered him, it even angered him a little... but nature's call forced him to forget about his current irritation, and he got out of the room to enjoy his morning 'potty break'.

Another one of nature's call forced him to forget completely about his indignation right after he exited the bathroom; the wild roars of his stomach forced him to head to the kitchen to search for food, which he did while grimacing at the empty Palace. He had been angry after reading the note and thus he had left it in his room, but now he wished he hadn't left it behind. He couldn't remember what Suki had said exactly: did she say the three members of the Royal Family had gone on the Cruise, or had she only mentioned Zuko and Iroh...?

The answer to his question became obvious when he caught sight of a certain hot-blooded princess after taking the last corner from where he would finally reach the kitchen. Azula was standing right in front of the door looking completely disturbed; she was already dressed but her hair was down and untidy, very much unlike her. It didn't take Sokka a long time to figure out why she seemed to be in such lousy state, it probably was because she didn't have any servants to boss around so that they would perform their daily duties to keep her as elegant and royal as she always appeared to be.

"Morning!" he called, startling her.

She turned around as soon as she heard his voice, the look on her eyes proving she was actually glad to see there was someone other than her inside the Palace. Sokka found himself flushing as he realized she had turned around at him with the very same look she had showed him right before he lost all control upon his senses when he had kissed her.

"Peasant!" she exclaimed, hardly containing herself. She was truly glad to see him "You're here!"

"Uh… yeah, I am" he said, smiling with mild awkwardness as she approached him, looking as if she were at a loss

"T-there's nobody else in the Palace…" she muttered "And I can only come up with one explanation to it… do you happen to have any information about this?"

"Well… I actually do have some" he said, scratching his head clumsily "Suki told me that all the servants and workers of the Palace would be going on a Cruise with Zuko and Iroh…"

The enraged look on Azula's face surprised Sokka. Even when none of this was his fault, he had a very bad feeling at seeing her lose her temper in this manner; she might end up killing him only to relieve herself from her anger.

"I knew it… I just knew it! Damn that moron! I hate him!" she yelled, walking in circles as she tried to find a way to let her fury out.

"I'm guessing you're talking about your brother, aren't you…?" he said, nervous

"Of course! He is the WORST Fire Lord in history! Not just in recent history, the worst EVER!" she yelled, slamming a fist against a wall and actually breaking it slightly

"H-hey! Watch out!" he said "Don't wreck the Palace because Zuko is a jerk!"

"Oh, you're right…" she said, a dangerous smile playing on her face "I'll wreck his room, that'll do it!"

"Don't!" he said, making a very risky move by taking her wrist, stopping her from storming off towards her brother's quarters "Please, don't! You'll only get yourself in trouble if you do that!"

Azula turned towards him, the dangerous smile turned into a frightening frown

"I couldn't care less if I end up thrown in that blasted Mental Facility again" she said "I've had it with him! How difficult could it be to just TELL ME ABOUT THIS?! It's the third time he's done this to me! Does he want to kill me of starvation, is he actually doing this for the fun of it?!"

"I'm sure that's not it!" said Sokka, smiling half-heartedly

"Then WHY?! Why leave me in this damned Palace all alone to look after myself?!" she asked, staring at him in the eyes

Sokka might have been swayed by her amber gaze again for what felt like the millionth time, but the amount of bottled up rage the Princess had within her stopped his latent romantic feelings towards her.

"T-to tell you the truth, I have no idea… and you're not alone, in case you didn't notice"

Azula's anger diminished suddenly at the realization. Indeed, she wasn't alone… why wasn't she alone? Why was he here if he had known about the stupid Cruise in the first place?

"How come are you here?" she asked, frowning in confusion

"Oh… I guess they left me behind" said Sokka, smiling awkwardly again "Suki left me a very nice note telling me I'm too much of a heavy sleeper for her to wake me up… and so they all left, even when she had told me she would take me with them. But to be honest, I thought you'd be going too…"

"I'm afraid my brother must believe I'll ruin his stupid Cruise Party" she said, bitterly "At least he could tell me so that I could make plans for myself and go somewhere else for a week or so! But of course he doesn't, he'd rather go on a trip with his beloved peasants while they all laugh wondering how will I deal with doing chores on my own…"

"He might just have forgotten to tell you…" said Sokka "B-but anyway, you're not all on your own; I can help you out…"

Azula's frown deepened, she stared at him in mild confusion, but also with hope.

"You will? Seriously?"

"Well, as long as you can stand another day in my company, Princess…" he said, smiling "We were both left behind, so… we might as well make it through this mess together!"

Azula didn't even notice how she had forgotten completely about how angry she had been at her brother for keeping her in the dark about the servants' day off. She found herself staring at him in disbelief, wondering if he could actually help her out in this situation…

"You… you know how to cook?" she asked "That's my main concern, to be honest…"

"I've traveled the whole world with barely any supplies, I'm sure we'll get by" he said, smiling calmly at her.

Azula nodded, and her gaze drifted towards her wrist, on which Sokka still held a strong grip. She felt a blush grow on her face as she took in everything that had just happened, and as she realized he was holding her hand so tightly…

As soon as he realized what he was doing, he let her go and took a few steps back as he smiled with slight guilt

"S-sorry, didn't mean to grab you like that…" he said, also flustered

"Indeed, you shouldn't have, peasant…" she muttered, trying to hide her embarrassment

Sokka realized he needed to change the subject if he were to break the repressing atmosphere which was surrounding them right now; he had already let himself get carried on by his mixed up feelings towards the Princess several times before, and due to this he was facing such hardships in his relationship with Suki. Even if he wanted to be on better terms with Azula, he had to keep his distance, for one reason or another…

"S-so... what exactly did you do last time when Zuko gave all the servants a break?" he asked

"I resolved to go out to the Capital..." she muttered "Which wasn't much fun for me, as you might imagine. Before I was a figure to be revered, now I'm bound to be pitied and neglected, feared for the wrong reasons, you might say. A woman even hid her child from me when I passed her by. What sort of unnatural joy do they think I would obtain from dealing with a brat?"

"I thought you wanted people to fear you" muttered Sokka, confused

"Not like this" she said "I wanted them to fear my talents, to be in awe because of how powerful I am, not because they think I belong in a shrink's office"

"I guess that does make sense" said Sokka, frowning "You went to find food, I presume..."

"Indeed" replied Azula "The first time Zuko did this to me I attempted to survive by cooking... and my efforts didn't pay off at all. In fact, even if I'm not proud to admit it, the only thing my own cooking did for me was reward my efforts with a terrible indigestion"

"Wow..." said Sokka, surprised "I guess you are bad at something after all..."

"I'm no good at doing household tasks of any kind" she admitted "That much should be obvious to you by now. My talents are related to fighting, plotting and disturbing the peace of mind of whatever lousy peasant I choose as my victim"

"It makes sense after all..." said Sokka, nodding "Very well, this time you won't end up with tummy ache! I'll do most of the cooking, if you'll let me!"

"Can I trust your skills?" she asked, frowning

"I told you I have a lot of experience with improvised meals" said Sokka, smiling with arrogance "You'll see! This is going to be great!"

Azula's heartbeats accelerated, but not because of being near a boy that interested her; her rush me adrenaline was more of the type where you knew you were about to do something stupid, something nobody on his right mind would recommend... and she was about to jump straight into it without knowing what the result would be. Such jolt of emotions by the mere thought of cooking was unthinkable, but probably the fact that she would be cooking with Sokka was a great part of the excitement she was feeling: all in all, it was thrilling.

…

The luxurious ship was one of the few in the world that was categorized as a Cruise. It was beautiful and its flow on the waves was so soft that the passengers would barely ever feel any rocking whatsoever; still, there were always some who wouldn't be able to hold in the content of their stomach and they wound up unleashing their half-digested lunch into the ocean.

Suki walked by one of these people as she looked for Zuko, and she couldn't help but look at the poor servant as he stumbled on the deck's edge, clinging onto the enclosure that surrounded the ship. Suki felt motivated to help him out, but just as she approached the sick man, he stood up again, his face so pale it even looked green, and he turned towards the water again. Suki found herself giving up on every hope to help the victim of the seasickness, and she kept walking until she saw Iroh and Zuko on the center of the deck. Iroh was lying happily on a beach chair while wearing nothing other than swimming trunks as he enjoyed the sun as it reached its highest point; Zuko seemed to be in deep thought under a tarp he was using to avoid getting sunburned, but to his annoyance, the Kyoshi Warrior was about to interrupt his meditation.

"Um… Zuko?" she said, touching him lightly on the shoulder

"Did something happen?" he asked, turning to her without hiding his mild irritation

"M-maybe… what's the matter? Why do you look so troubled?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"I just realized… I forgot to brief Azula about this AGAIN…" he muttered, shaking his head "I'm going to find myself in a living hell once we return to the Palace…"

"Unless she takes her anger out on Sokka…" she said, grimacing

"You're right… Maybe she will" said Zuko, actually hoping that she might vent her fury with his friend instead

"Umm… about Sokka…" started Suki, and the Fire Lord turned to her

"What about him?"

"I noticed… well, I just want to as you one question, it's no big deal…" she muttered. She was truly nervous… Deep down she only wished her doubts were completely unfounded, but this was the very moment in which she would know if the man she loved had actually lied to her… "Did… did you and Sokka ever fight a practice match of some sort before I got here?"

"A practice match?" asked Zuko, frowning "What do you mean?"

"I mean… if you two ever trained with each other…" she muttered

Zuko frowned, confused, and he shook his head

"I don't think my memory fails me… I don't recall having fought against Sokka since back when I was still chasing the Avatar"

Saying these words hardly had meant anything to Zuko, but he didn't realize the impact they would have on the girl in front of him. Suki widened her eyes completely as the truth sank down upon her. It hadn't been Zuko… he hadn't hurt Sokka. He had lied to her, straight to her face, believing she wouldn't notice. And… why had he bothered doing something like this? What could have led him to lie to her…?

"Suki? Are you okay?" asked Zuko, and she stumbled backwards

"I… I'm fine, don't worry about me…" she said, forcing a smile and running away before Zuko could ask her anymore questions.

She ran to the other end of the ship, staring down at the water as if willing to jump into it if only to try and forget about what she had just realized. Tears began streaming her face before she knew it… and before she even understood why she was so heartbroken. One lie wasn't going to be enough to have her give up on Sokka; she would meet him again soon and she would force the truth out of him, even if he didn't want to explain himself at all. And they would work this out one way or another… she had to believe they could make it through, even when the odds were against her.

But why did she feel like they were against her? She had been in a relationship with Sokka for years now… what could possibly jeopardize their love? She paced slowly, trying to calm herself down as she looked at the facts objectively. He had lied to her about his wounds… which meant he didn't want her to know who had inflicted them upon him in the first place. Why? Did he fear she might make a living hell out of the life whoever was responsible for his burns?

Again, this was nothing but speculation. She couldn't try to think for Sokka; all she could do for now was work with what she was certain of. He had been burned by someone, and that someone hadn't been Zuko. The Palace was always guarded by firebenders and outstanding warriors, the elite of the Fire Nation's ranks… maybe one of them had hurt Sokka when he had arrived uninvited? It seemed unlikely, Sokka was famous and well-known, nobody on his right mind would hurt him like this…

And then it hit her. There was someone in that Palace that wasn't on her right mind, or so said the rumors. And she would be truly willing to burn Sokka to a crisp if he only gave her a reason to do so. Suki clenched her teeth in anger; why had she been so blind? How hadn't she realized this earlier? She was the one person prone to hurt him without reason, or for ridiculous reasons for that matter…

But why didn't Sokka tell her? Why did he hide it? Was he actually trying to protect the Fire Nation Princess? Why would he do that? What could he possibly gain by hiding the truth about his wounds?

Suki turned towards the direction of the Capital, a deep frown on her face. She had tried to wake Sokka up, but she had given up after only trying twice because she had wanted to ask Zuko the truth without Sokka around… but this wasn't the outcome she had expected. Now she knew he had lied to her, he was stuck in the Palace with the insane Princess, the Princess with whom he had spent an entire day, with whom he had played Pai Sho, according to what she recalled from what he had told her the day before. She clenched her fists, feeling helpless; she was too far away from Sokka to either save him from that cruel girl or to confront him about why he was protecting her… No matter how she tried to look at it, it made no sense to whatsoever…

What on earth had happened between Sokka and Azula?

_Insecurity and uncertainty will discourage and diminish every relationship; doubting the bond that joins two lovers won't go unnoticed. Strength and determination are necessary to fight against the powerful waves of anxiety to ensure their love won't ever wither or die_


	11. 11: Light

The wide kitchen of the Palace would always impress Sokka, even when he had snuck into it enough times to memorize it completely. The numerous cabinets and shelves were stacked with cooking gear, and all the food waited within an enormous cupboard, which Sokka knew very well, since most his plunder took place within that particular room.

"Welcome to the kitchen, Princess!" said Sokka, grinning happily at thinking that he wouldn't get kicked out of the room for once

"There's no need for that" muttered Azula "I've been here several times before"

"Really? I figured the Princess wouldn't ever set foot on a lowly place such as a kitchen" said Sokka, smirking

"I told you I tried to cook the first time Zuko left me here" she muttered "Is your memory that bad, peasant?"

"I was merely joking, Azula" said Sokka, sighing "Um… can I call you by your name nowadays?"

"I don't think you should, but you already did" she muttered, dropping on a chair without realizing how uncomfortable it was "How can the servants get by with such lousy furniture?"

"They don't really have a choice, do they?" said Sokka "If that's what the royal family supplies them with, they'll have to deal with it"

"Well said" she muttered, smiling

"I… I wasn't actually saying it to defend you" he said, twitching "It was more of a criticism…"

"Then you should be glad I took it so well" she said, shifting on the uncomfortable chair "On another note… what exactly are you planning to cook, peasant?"

Sokka blinked, surprised at the question. He really didn't have anything in mind… and he was certain that no matter what he tried to make, it would be below Azula's standards.

"Um… In all seriousness, I really don't know" he said, shrugging "I don't really know what to cook… or how, for that matter…"

"What?" she said, frowning and glaring at him with enough rage to make him wish he hadn't been born "Didn't you just say you had 'traveled all over the world' and survived with barely any supplies whatsoever?!"

"Yeah, I said that…" muttered Sokka, scratching his head "But I never said I had learned to cook in my trips, did I?"

"So you lied to trick me into a trap of some sort, by any chance?!" she asked, furious

"What sort of trap could I try to lure you in?" he asked, folding his arms "We're practically alone in this Palace, aren't we? The one in danger of traps should be me, not you… I'm at your mercy, Princess, and I know by first hand that you're not precisely merciful… but it's either letting me cook or doing it yourself, your call"

Azula still glared at him, but Sokka didn't relent. He stared back at her, waiting to hear what she had decided to do… and he saw her cross her legs and imitate his folding of arms, which was body language for 'I'd rather trust my worst enemy than you', but…

"You'd better turn out to be a good cook, peasant…" she muttered.

"I'll do my best" he said, smiling after seeing she had actually given up a fight for once… or at least, she had delayed it. She probably would end up firebending his butt if his culinary skills disappointed her.

Sokka scanned the counter of the kitchen with calculating eyes as he searched for a recipe book, if he was lucky enough to find it. He figured there had to be one somewhere, every kitchen had one, and if this was the Royalty's kitchen, surely there was a recipe book somewhere… After opening several cabinets, he finally found an old binder, filled with several sheets of parchment of different sizes, all of them with the express instructions on how to cook dishes of the highest category for the sake of the royals.

"Look! I found something useful!" he said, putting the folder on Azula's hands "There's got to be something we can cook in here, so just look for something you like and I'll try to make it happen!"

The girl frowned, the binder was dusty and the paper within was impregnated with a smell that disgusted her for no reason. Nevertheless, she put the folder on the table and took out several parchments, staring through them with mild disgust

"Wait a moment…" she said, frowning upon a particular piece of paper "Komodo Sausages are made from Komodo Rhinos?! What is this nonsense?! I was certain it came from Komodo Chicken!"

Sokka had been about to check the cupboard to make sure they were well-stacked on ingredients, but as soon as he heard her scandalized complaint, he realized that giving her the recipes might not have been such a great idea; she wasn't used to discovering the components of her meals, and some of them might be a little more than she could take.

"Smoked Sea Slug is an actual SLUG?!" she yelled in horror, and with that, Sokka took the parchments and folder away from her

"Yeah, it is…" he said, smiling with discomfort "You know what? I think I'll be the one choosing the menu, if you don't mind…"

Azula seemed to be in too deep a shock to even hear Sokka; to think she had actually eaten a slug sent shivers down her spine…

Sokka decided to take out a random parchment and make whatever there was on it as long as it didn't contain slugs; to his relief, the recipe he selected was the one for Tart Pies, which was comprised by relatively normal ingredients.

He headed towards the cupboard and picked up everything he would have to use. By the time he returned to the main wing of the kitchen, Azula was still in utter shock, the expression in her face showing how much she regretted not having been picky over her meals in the past. Sokka smiled at the sight, wondering how many sides of the Princess he had discovered during the month he had been staying in the Palace; still, he shook his head as he tried to keep those thoughts away. Even if he wasn't too happy about his relationship with Suki in the current times, he still had to keep his distance from the Fire Nation Princess; his feelings for her kept confusing him, but he couldn't let himself lose Suki because of them.

Azula came to her senses when Sokka was already mixing the ingredients according to the recipe. She frowned, wondering if he'd chosen to make another disgusting dish she had enjoyed while not knowing what it was made of… With mild doubt, she approached him and watched him blend the ingredients with a whisk. Sokka raised an eyebrow at seeing her stand next to him; he had figured she wouldn't want anything to do with the baking and cooking, she was a Princess… why would she bother taking part in the making of meals?

"Um… is something the matter?" asked Sokka, staring at her

Azula ignored him and snuck a peek at the recipe he was following, and again she frowned

"A… tart pie?" she asked

"What's the matter?" said Sokka "Don't you like them?"

"That's not my ideal breakfast…" muttered Azula

"Last time I checked, this wasn't the ideal situation either, so don't go around asking me to pull off royal recipes when I've barely cooked in my life" he said, blending the mix even faster than before

"Well… can't you at least try to make what I always eat?" she asked, seeming desperate

Sokka raised an eyebrow, wondering if she really was that much of a maniac to always eat the same breakfast…

"What exactly is that breakfast you have in mind?" he muttered, fearing he would regret asking

"I always have fried crab with a bowl of rice and a salad made of cabbage and tomato-carrots" she said, making Sokka flinch at the idea of cooking so much

"What? Oh, please! You really don't expect me to do that, do you?!" he said, staring at her in disbelief

"Y-you said we'd make it through this mess! Well, that's what it takes to make it through it!" she said, yelling at him "How hard can it be to cook crab anyway?!"

"I don't know, and I couldn't care less!" he said "We're operating under emergency circumstances here, so you'd better keep all those complaints to yourself and help me out, or else we won't eat anything at all!"

Azula felt a vein palpitating savagely on her forehead, and she engaged Sokka in a very intense glaring war for a while until she finally gave up.

"Fine…" she said, gritting her teeth "Make whatever you want, peasant…"

Sokka sighed and left the half mixed food on the counter as he looked at her with mild despair

"Look, we're in this mess together, and I'm sure we're both starving by now. The least we can do is help each other out and make as much food as possible so that we survive this mess and get enough energy to kick Zuko's butt once he returns, don't you agree?"

Azula folded her arms, eyeing Sokka with interest

"Why would you want to kick my brother on the rear…?"

"Because we were both left behind" said Sokka "I'm mad at Suki for leaving me like this, but I'm not going to take out my anger on her, so I'll do it with Zuko. Is that okay with you?"

Azula shook her head, disapproving

"No, I don't agree. Find somebody else to kick, Zuko is my victim" she muttered

"Fine" he said, scratching my head "I'll just kick that annoying servant that wakes me up every morning, is that better?"

"That I can agree with" she said, smirking

"So… will you help me out here?" he said, with pleading eyes

"You want to make me work with you?" she asked, a little disinclined to the idea.

"Two heads are better than one, and so are two pairs of hands…" he said, smiling

Azula smiled slightly and nodded in agreement

"I'm sure you'll make a mess of things if I don't help you, after all…"

"Right… You'll be saving my neck since you're so accomplished in cooking that you made your stomach explode last time you tried to make your own food" he said sarcastically, earning himself another death glare by the Princess "O-okay, okay! I'll shut up now!"

Azula wasn't too happy to find herself obeying Sokka's orders, but since he bothered to add a 'please' before each request, she did it without complaining much. Following the instructions on the parchment, they managed to make a yellow dough which didn't taste so badly even when it was still raw – Sokka did the sampling.

"Alright, then!" said Sokka, walking to the oven "We need to turn this on to bake the tart pie, so now is when your firebending skills will come to our aid… You just have to let out a tiny spark to turn this on, there's no need to unleash one of your powerful blasts… So please be careful, okay?"

Azula rolled her eyes and leaned down towards the oven, which Sokka had just opened up. She lifted one finger, and a small blue flame came out from it. Without much care, she tossed it inside the oven and red flames spread steadily inside it.

"Perfect!" said Sokka, smiling

"Of course it was perfect" said Azula, her hands on her hips "It wasn't even a challenge"

"Uh… you're right, it really wasn't" said Sokka "I was just glad you didn't blow up the kitchen by throwing fire at the oven without measuring it properly…"

"Oh, please! Do you really believe I suffer from such lack of self-control?" she asked, staring at him with disbelief as he placed the dough inside the oven

"What I believe is that you'll do anything to prove you're a superb firebender" he stated "I think you'd burn down a whole village just to show your mastery over fire"

"You couldn't be more wrong" she said "To be an insane firebender without restraint isn't proof of being a master of the element. Knowing how to manipulate, control and use the fire to ensure it will follow through each of your moves is what makes you a master. In fact, I believe the best way for a master to prove his prowess is to be able to bend under the direst of circumstances, to succeed even when the situation looks hopeless… those are the markings of a true master, in my personal opinion"

Sokka frowned as he closed the oven's door, staring at Azula with interest

"What?" she asked, a little annoyed

"I guess there really is much more to you than it looks, huh?" he said, smiling

Azula blushed slightly and dropped her head so he wouldn't see how flustered she had become

"Of course there is, you stupid peasant…" she muttered, and she walked back to her uncomfortable chair.

Sokka didn't quite hear her last comment since he had gone back to the binder of the recipes, looking for anything else they might be able to cook

"What are you going to do now?" asked Azula, bored and annoyed

"It'll take a few hours for the tart pie to be all done" he said "So maybe we could start cooking something else while we wait!"

Azula let herself fall on the table in front of her, feeling demolished. Her stomach seemed to be starting to consume itself if only to make sure it would obtain nutrients somehow…

"This is too much, peasant… I can't go another minute without food… why did you choose to make a stupid pie if you knew it would take so long to be cooked?"

"I didn't know!" he said "I only noticed when we were halfway through mixing it up!"

"Whatever... I'll die if we carry on like this..." said Azula, weakly

Sokka sighed and entered the ingredient cupboard again. He searched for something they could eat instantly, but he didn't seem to find anything... Until he saw a bowl with cookies on a corner of the room. He ate one to make sure they weren't old and musty, and to his relief, they were only a little dry. He took the bowl with him and placed it on the table in front of Azula, prompting her to raise her head.

"Here" he said "This is bound to keep you alive for now. There aren't many... but it has to count for something"

Azula looked at the cookies in awe. She had never liked sweets, but just seeing the bowl of cookies felt like a gift from the heavens. She ate two at once, not even caring about how they tasted; she was too desperate to put something in her stomach to care about anything at all.

But she interrupted her savage way of eating when she noticed Sokka was watching her, an amused smirk spreading through his face.

"Seems like someone has forgotten all about her fabled manners, huh?" he said, chuckling

"I... I needed food! Besides, these are desperate times, aren't they?" she said, completely embarrassed

"Sure, whatever you say..." he muttered, still smiling as he walked towards the cupboard again

"What are you going to do now?" she asked, feeling nervous after her shameless display earlier

"There's something here we could eat" he said "I saw it right when I had already grabbed the cookies..."

Next thing Azula knew, Sokka had returned with a set of non-baked noodles. He smiled as he looked for an appropriate recipe to cook them while Azula kept eating cookies gradually, with far more dignity than before.

"I think I'm going to fry these" he declared "There's a good recipe for it here"

"Do you think the pie won't be enough" she said

"I'm sure it won't be enough for an entire day" he said "We need to make lunch and dinner as well!"

"This won't end well..." muttered Azula, sighing as she imagined the havoc they would wreck if they were to cook much more than just a tart pie…

Sokka returned to the storage to search for the rest of the ingredients just when Azula's cookies were about to run out. She stared at the last one, wondering how many she had eaten without giving it a second thought… and she frowned, pondering if she should save some for the peasant or not. For all she knew, he had only eaten one; he had been chewing something when he had left the cookie bowl in front of her… should she be considerate with him, or shouldn't she…?

"I've got all the ingredients now!" said Sokka, returning to the counter with an assortment of spices and seasonings "Can you help me out here?"

Azula looked at him and back at the cookie, uncertainty filling her. Should he tell him she had saved it for him…?

"Hey, you ate them all? Is your stomach hollow or something?" he said, breaking through her doubts as he took the cookie and downed it in one shot

Azula's eyebrow twitched after hearing his words. There she was, about to act from the kindest side of her heart, and this was the way he thanked her… She shouldn't have saved any cookies for him at all! The wretched peasant…

"So, are you going to help me?" he asked, approaching a stove

She glared at him and walked up right next to where he was standing, the noodles already laying on a frying pan. Sokka realized she didn't seem particularly happy, but he decided not to comment about it and focus on the food he wanted to cook

"You've got to turn on the heat here" he said, smiling slightly "I need there to be a steady fire, just like the one in the oven. I'll make the rest of the preparation myself, this one seems much simpler that the tart pie"

"Good to know" she growled, still angry

"Alright then, set it on fire!" he said, smiling innocently

He had no idea that she would take his words seriously, of course.

Rather than using a small flame just as she had done before, Azula stretched out two of her fingers and shot a blast at the stove… which fueled the fire and increased its size drastically, becoming the brutal pillar of fire that crashed and melted the entire frying pan before Sokka could even register what was happening.

"Damn it!" he yelled, running to a water barrel that stood nearby. He lifted it with strength he didn't know he had within him and threw half the liquid on the stove, making the kitchen grow foggy after the water and fire combined into steam.

Azula had stayed in the very same position, registering what had happened. She had let her previous anger take control of her senses while bending… which was the reason why there was a mass of melted metal growing colder now on the stove.

"So much for the whole 'firebender without restraint' business, huh?" he said, putting the barrel on the floor again as she sighed in annoyance

"What do you want me to do? Bow down and ask for forgiveness? I merely had a slip… stop pestering me"

Sokka stared at her, wondering if she was actually serious… but then he noticed she was blushing slightly. Maybe she regretted her actions after all… He smiled and shrugged, patting her on the shoulder, to her surprise

"It's okay, I don't know what I'm doing either, even if I'm trying to make it look like I do"

Azula assimilated his words at first as an insult, she hated to hear somebody imply she didn't know what she was doing... but then again, even if her pride wanted to make her yell at him and tell him she had everything under control, she couldn't deny she truly was at a loss if it came down to cooking.

"We'll make it through without the hotpot" he said, grinning as he walked towards the storage again. The stove was covered by a solid metal blanket by now.

"I'm sorry..." she muttered, once he was out of earshot. She hated to be the one that made things go wrong; in normal circumstances she would insult the person to blame and proudly state she would do a better job than him... this time she couldn't do anything other than feel immersed in guilt.

Sokka heard her this time, and he turned towards Azula before entering the cupboard. She had her gaze down, and she seemed to be hugging herself while feeling helpless and useless, judging by the look on her face... He smiled and entered the cupboard, taking two vegetables from it.

"Look at what I found!" he said, showing her a cabbage and a tomato-carrot.

Azula raised her head and stared at him, surprised

"I think we might be able to make at least a fragment of your regular breakfast" he told her, setting down the ingredients on the counter "I didn't see any recipe for it on the folder, so you'll have to tell me how its done..."

Azula walked up to him and eyed the food with intelligent eyes, trying to figure out how the servants made her breakfast...

"I'm guessing they peel the outer layers of the cabbage... But I'm not sure if they do the same with the tomato-carrot..."

"They probably do" stated Sokka "And then?"

"They chop the cabbage in very small bits, and they grate the tomato-carrot, if I'm not mistaken" said the Princess "And I think they add a dressing to it... But I don't know what they use to make it"

"We'll have to improvise, I guess" said Sokka "I think I saw a bile labeled 'dressing', that might do it... You take the tomato-carrot, I'll do the cabbage"

"Alright..." she said, feeling slightly nervous; she hoped she wouldn't disappoint Sokka with her bad skills when it came to manipulating food.

Azula peeled the tomato-carrot using a potato-peeler she found in a cabinet, while Sokka worked his way to discard the rotten leaves of the cabbage. Sokka was done just as Azula finished the peeling, and he took a huge and sharp knife from a cabinet

"Are you sure you can handle that?" asked Azula, worried

"Please... I'm a master swordsman!" he said, smiling with arrogance "A silly knife wouldn't do me any damage even if it tried!"

Azula stared at him with skepticism, certain that his claims wouldn't prove to be right. Sokka didn't miss out on her clear disregard for his abilities, and even when he was about to start chopping the cabbage, he turned to her, annoyed

"Hey! What's with that look?" he growled

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because every single time you act all high-and-mighty, you end up proving you're not half as talented as you claim to be" was her cruel remark, accompanied with one of her trademark smirks.

"How ironic you say that right after what happened with the stove, huh?" he stated, his eyes fixated on her

"T-that… that has nothing to do with this!" she said, blushing

"I think we're even now" he said, smiling as he held the cabbage and got ready to slice it "Now, if you'll just stop pestering me and let me do my…"

He stopped talking at once when he felt the pain stinging his index finger. He hadn't noticed his right hand was closer to the sharp edge than it seemed to be… and he had swung the knife down right on the tip of his finger without a second thought.

Blood spurted almost at once as he screamed in pain, throwing the knife on the counter. Luckily, he hadn't chopped his finger off or anything, but the gash he had inflicted upon himself was deep and wide.

Azula saw his wound and immediately ran out of the room, sprinting at full speed towards the doctor's office. He had also gone on the Cruise Trip, a fact she only realized once she entered the room, but since they didn't get along too well, it wasn't a problem for her to see the man wasn't around. She raided his furniture until she found the bandages she was looking for and she returned as quickly as she could.

Once she re-entered the kitchen, she walked up to Sokka, who had been pouring some of the remaining water of the barrel on his wound and grimacing at the pain.

"Is it clean already?" she asked, showing him the bandages

Sokka stared at her in surprise. He had thought that she had ran away either because she didn't like seeing blood or because she had grown sick of him… the first option was most unlikely, but nevertheless, he didn't think she had actually gone out of her way to find bandages for him

"I… I think so" he said, blinking while still staring at her with disbelief

He didn't even relent when she forced him onto one of the uncomfortable chairs and wrapped up his finger in bandages. She wasn't too skilled at it, but the fact that she had bothered to do something like this for him was so shocking that he didn't care at all if she did it well or not.

"You're an idiot" she stated, frowning "Why didn't you pay attention to what you were doing?"

"I was too busy bickering with you…" he muttered, pouting

"You were telling me you wouldn't do exactly what you did!" she scolded him "How can you be so thick-headed?!"

"W-why does it bother you that much?" he asked, surprised. She finished binding the bandage and stared at his hand, wondering why indeed… "Why did you go so far just to cure me…?"

He couldn't ignore the blush that appeared on her face now. Not every day did he get to witness Princess Azula acting in this shy manner, not to mention he never had imagined there really was a gentle side to the girl, but after she had wrapped up his injury, he realized she could be kind indeed…

"I… I was just making up for ruining your noodles and the stove…" she muttered, embarrassed. Of course, Sokka had no idea she had made up that excuse on the spot, she was certain she had acted upon her growing feelings for him…

Sokka's eyes were wider than they had ever been before. She lowered her head yet again, avoiding his gaze as much as possible so that she wouldn't lose herself in his cerulean eyes once more… Sokka found himself smiling kindly at her as he patted her on the head, shocking her

"Let's go make that salad, shall we?" he said, grinning

Azula finally had the courage to look at him, but he had closed his eyes as he smiled. She nodded slowly, agreeing to tag with him again to try and make a meal worth eating.

Their teamwork was actually better than they thought it would be; the two of them were actually enjoying the experience far more than they thought they would. Sokka managed to cut the cabbage without cutting his fingers again, to both his and Azula's relief, and he went to get the dressing as Azula finished grating her tomato-carrot. They put both vegetables together on the same bowl, and Sokka added the dressing. At first he only dropped a bit of the mix, but Azula seemed to believe it wasn't enough, so he ended up wasting almost the whole dressing on it…

Which happened to be a very bad idea. Despite the fact that Azula and Sokka were used to the spicy meals of the Fire Nation, the salad's dressing had extremely spicy chili within it, which tormented their tongues after only one serving of salad. Neither of them was particularly interested in eating much more of the unbearably spicy dish, but their hunger called for desperate measures, so they dug in, with a water glass nearby to tone down the burning feeling they got from the spicy dressing.

Once they had eaten the whole salad, Sokka decided to check out the state of the tart pie, which seemed to be well baked, to their relief. A sweet dish might be exactly what they needed after eating the fiery salad.

They split the tart in two pieces right after Sokka added the fruits to the top of the cake, and they ate it without a care in the world, both of them exhausted after cooking more meals in two hours than they had in their entire lives. To their disappointment, the center of the pie was still raw, but they ate it just like that nonetheless.

"I'm definitely not cut out to be a cook" said Sokka, after gulping down a bit of raw dough

"Neither am I" muttered Azula "But even so, this didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would be…"

"We're a pretty good team when we work together like this, don't you think?" he said, smiling

"I guess…" she said, shrugging off his comment despite agreeing with him with all her heart "But I do feel deceived. I was certain that with your 'traveling experience' you had learned to cook something, but you're just as bad as I am"

"Cut me some slack" he said "I was the one hunting and fishing and even foraging for fruits at times… And we didn't have the luck to be particular about our meals; we had to make do with whatever there was available. I remember once I went out to search for something to eat and all I found were nuts and rocks that were shaped like nuts… and we had to eat them without complaints, because it was all we had!"

Azula stared at him with stern eyes, and Sokka looked back at her, wondering what was on her mind…

"You're lying" she declared, and he smiled with guilt

"Yeah, I am…" he said "Katara and Aang wouldn't take my nuts for food, only Momo did… They were the ones that cooked most of the time, namely Katara. Aang only stood by, helping her out unless it was something related with meat. I still don't understand why anyone would be a vegetarian… Aang's missing out on the best meals in the world just because of those silly monk traditions!"

"We all have our ways of life, you can't force yours down somebody's throat unless you're royalty, which you are not, peasant" said Azula "Besides, look at it on the bright side: if he doesn't eat meat, you can take his share"

"Yeah, that sounds about right…" said Sokka, smiling "Say… now that we're talking about who cooked during our travels, which one of the Three Deadly Gals made the food?"

Azula felt a pull towards the past thanks to that question, back to the times when everything was far simpler, back when she actually believed in other people, back when she had everything she wanted… She twitched and focused again on the question, avoiding locking her eyes with his so he wouldn't see how much his question had shaken her.

"We were heavily packed on supplies, unlike your group" she said "And whenever we ran out of food, we would simply storm into the nearest village and get as much food as we required. If there was any need for cooking, Ty Lee would do the job"

"Figures" said Sokka "I can't really imagine you or Mai cooking, since you're both the royal types…"

"Don't delude yourself, Ty Lee is the daughter of a nobleman as well" said Azula "But she had no complaints about cooking if no one else would do it, and indeed, no one else would do it"

"I see" he said, smiling "I guess your camping trips with them mustn't have been that much fun, huh?"

"They weren't so bad" said Azula "But… camping trips? I don't think you should call it that way. Ty Lee, Mai and I used to travel long distances on a tank train, we only got off it and rode the Mongoose Lizards when the forests were too thick for the train to move, and we still returned to it every night to get our rest. So if you consider sleeping in a tank train a camping trip, I guess I had one. But if not, then I assure you I have no recollection of camping in my life"

Sokka stared at her in disbelief, to her utter discomfort

"W-wait… you've never… YOU'VE NEVER CAMPED IN YOUR LIFE?!" he yelled, in shock

"What's so big about that?" she said "There are several people who haven't done it…"

"B-but… That's just so wrong!" he yelled "You haven't gathered around a campfire with your friends while listening to dark and scary stories? You never spent hours trying to set up a tent? You've never rested on the soft grass while staring at the night sky just for the sake of it?!"

"No, no and no" she said, frowning "So what? There are several things in the world I haven't done, why should you feel so bothered by this?"

"Because I can't take this!" he said, shaking his head "How on earth have you been missing out on something like this?! If I had known this back when we were on the road with you while looking for your mom, I would have told Zuko to forget about inns and renting houses to sleep! I would have told him we had to sleep out!"

"Is it really that great? It doesn't seem like it…" she muttered "None of what you have said is appealing to me…"

Sokka smirked and walked towards her, looking down on the Princess, who seemed to think he had lost his mind

"In that case, there's only one thing we can do to find out if you'll like it or not…"

Azula frowned and stared at him in irritation

"Oh, no… you're not doing this, peasant!" she yelled "You can't make me!"

"Come on! It's not as if we had anything better to do!" he said, smiling "It'll be just for one night, you'll enjoy it so much you'll end up wanting even more camping trips!"

"I refuse to go, you idiot!" she yelled, standing up while staring at him with challenging eyes

"Seriously, Princess… you really don't have a choice here" he said, a very malicious smile spreading through his features "You and I are going on a camping trip, whether you like it or not"

She couldn't do anything other than stare at him in dismay. The mere thought of spending a night with him made her heart beat wildly… but would she be able to handle going on a camping trip?

_Life can bring unexpected situations, turning the saddest frowns into smiles with the blink of an eye. Love is just as unforeseen, at times arriving with the strength of a hurricane and on others as softly as a whisper; the power of the red string of fate can change its form, but it shall never cease to unite the two lovers in its own way._


	12. 12: Affection and the Norm

Azula glared at his back as she walked right behind him, hoping to discover she had the skill to set him on fire by merely using her eyes. To her annoyance, Sokka didn't ignite, although he was completely aware of how angry the Princess was.

The two of them were walking down the hall that led them towards the Main Gate of the Palace, the afternoon sun shining upon them. Sokka had insisted upon going on a camping trip, saying they were going to be bored out of their minds if they stayed in the Royal Palace, and he also claimed she had been locked up inside these compounds for far too long. Azula disagreed, but he ran out of the kitchen and began packing before she could even say 'don't even think about it'.

After stocking up on clothes and camping material, Sokka returned to the kitchen to obtain supplies. Azula, against her will, went to her room to find all which she believed she would need on a camping trip; as she packed she wondered: why was she letting him get away with this as well? He had gotten away with hugging her, with kissing her, with playing Pai Sho with her, with going to an off-limits room of the Palace and now she would let have his way with the trip he'd decided to make without caring about her opinion at all...

In truth, she would be better off if he didn't ask for her opinion. She probably would end up blushing insanely again if he asked her to go with him on a camping trip rather than forcing the idea onto her. Also, she wanted to hide how much she loathed being locked up within the Palace nowadays. She had been inside it for what felt like ages, wondering when she would finally find the courage to go outside and enjoy the world on her own way… but fear of being unable to fend for herself stopped her, and thus she would do nothing other than roam the corridors of a house too large to be filled with anything other than emptiness. Too many memories, too many regrets lay inside that Palace, and she wished she could escape them somehow, but up until now, she hadn't found any chance to do so…

But she finally had one. He had decided to go on a camping trip, which was her one ticket to the outer world… She might be able to tell him she wouldn't accompany him at all and send him off on his own, but truth to be told, it was the last thing she wanted to do. So, to Sokka's utter surprise, she had suddenly arrived at the kitchen carrying a few bags as she asked him if they really were going to do this.

It took them another hour to be ready, since obtaining supplies wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. By the time they were finished, they had several water bottles and some food within containers… of course, the food they managed to obtain without needing to overexert themselves with cooking was nothing other than snacks, namely Fire Flakes, Fire Gummies and Sizzle Crisps. Azula didn't seem too excited to think she'd have to get by in the wild with such lousy provisions, but she knew complaining would only have Sokka telling her to cook something better if she really couldn't stand eating junk food.

And so they were walking down the main entrance of the Palace, heading towards the gates with their bags and luggage hanging on their backs.

"You could try to show you have some decency and carry my pack" she spat at him, struggling with the weight on her shoulders

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Princess, but everyone has to do his fair share of work in camping!" he said "You can't have me do everything for you, even if you think you can!"

"I'm the Fire Nation Princess" she said, her eyes glowing with rage "You're a peasant. You're meant to do what I tell you to, so just DO IT!"

"Oh, no! Not on this context, my friend!" he said "We're camping buddies for the day, and we have to learn to work together or else we'll die in the wild!"

"What makes you think you're my friend, peasant?" she asked, gritting her teeth

"Good to know that's what you're opposed to" he said, smirking "I thought you'd protest against working with me…"

"Believe me, I do" she said "But I'm aware of the fact that I'll have a better chance at survival if you're around, no matter how annoying it is to admit it…"

Sokka laughed, to her utter annoyance. Since when had it become so much fun being with her? Azula eyed the peasant with interest and distrust, unsure if she should read these signs in the way she wanted to… But she was cut across her questioning of Sokka's intentions when the Water Tribe Boy slowed his pace once they reached the gates

"What's the matter, peasant?" she asked, staring at him in confusion

"It's no big deal" he said, regaining his step again "I just didn't know the guards were still around. I thought Zuko was going to take everyone away for the day…"

About four men clad in armors were standing in front of the door, keeping watch on the Palace, just as they had been ordered to do; there were actually guards on strategic spots around the entire Palace, guarding the perimeter and ensuring the safety of everything within its compounds.

"Not even my little brother would be that stupid" she said "Leaving the Palace completely unguarded would be the most foolish move a Fire Lord could make. He'd only make sure to ascertain he's the worst leader this country has ever had if he does something along those lines"

"I get that, but… Why didn't you tell one of these guys to cook for you on the previous occasions?" asked Sokka, confused

"They are trained to be warriors, not cooks" said Azula, with a frown "They're bound to make worse meals than ours…"

"They really must suck if that's the case" said Sokka, laughing as they finally walked by the doors "Good day, soldiers! I hope you have a great… watching session or whatever you call it!"

The four men turned around and stared at them in surprise.

"P-Princess Azula…" said one of them, earning himself a death glare by the girl

"What do you want?" she said, to Sokka's surprise. He didn't know she would speak in this manner to soldiers of the Fire Nation; he was sure she felt at least a twinge of respect for them.

"We weren't informed that the two of you were inside the premises of the Palace" said another guard, the captain of the Royal Watch

"Well, we weren't informed about recent events either" said Sokka, grimacing "We were left behind on the Cruise trip, I'd say"

"And where are you going to?" asked the first guard, eyeing them and their luggage with confusion

"We're just off for a little camping trip" said Sokka, smiling "We won't go too far, so don't fret!"

"Shouldn't you stay within the Palace's walls…?" asked the captain

"I guess we should, but since this girl has never been on a decent camping trip, we're going out for the night!"

"For the entire night?" asked the captain "I don't think I can agree to that…"

"And who asked for your agreement?" said Azula, threatening him with only a glare "You have no say in this matter, so stay here and make sure the Palace is secure, or else I'll make sure you'll spend what's left of your life regretting this very moment…"

Sokka stared at the girl in disbelief, shocked to see her threatening the man, but he jumped in and cut through her menacing attitude with a wide smile

"Well, you guys know what you have to do, so just do it; that's what she meant to say" he said, smiling "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be taking our leave now…"

"B-but… the Princess shouldn't be carrying such bags!" said a guard, to her relief, but Sokka shook his head

"You're not coming with us, and we're both carrying our own weight, so quit being a bootlicker and let her walk as regular people do"

"B-but she's not regular people…" he muttered, making Azula smirk in satisfaction, but Sokka insisted

"She will be for today" he said "Unless she wishes to make it seem like a peasant can carry heavy luggage and she can't…"

Azula knew he was merely trying to ruse her, but she couldn't help but feel enraged at his words. Her nostrils flared dangerously for a second and she expelled a blue flame with her breath, terrifying Sokka at the sight. He hadn't seen her firebend through her mouth ever before

"Indeed, I'll get by" she said, smirking in satisfaction after seeing his frightened expression.

Sokka sighed, wondering if he hadn't signed his own death sentence by making Azula go on a camping trip. Nonetheless, he turned towards the guards and muttered

"We'll try to be back by tomorrow morning, but if the guys from the Cruise arrive earlier than us, make sure to inform Zuko of where we are. He might not even care, but it's better if he knows where his sister is, right?"

"Indeed" said a guard "Sir, are you sure she's allowed to leave the Palace…?"

"Who is going to stop me?" she asked, her menacing attitude still at its best

"No need to worry, guys!" said Sokka, smiling happily "Of course we can go out, and we'll be back by tomorrow, you'll see!"

"Right…" said the captain "Good luck, I guess…"

With these words, Sokka and Azula resumed their progress through the city, with the guards' stare fixated upon them until they were too far to watch anymore. The two teenagers walked side by side, both thinking about their own matters, but something had bugged Azula back when they had been talking with the guards

"Why did you only tell him to inform Zuko?" she asked, frowning "Why didn't you ask them to let your Kyoshi Warrior know where you'd be?"

"What?" he said, caught off guard "W-well, I… I guess Zuko can tell Suki later, right? So she'd find out eventually…"

"That may be true, but it doesn't make any sense to me" she muttered "I was under the impression you were in a wonderful relationship with the girl, that you loved her deeply and she loved you too, or so you claimed back when you first started staying over at the Palace… shouldn't you want her to be the first one to know where you are? Or is it that you don't want her to know you're with me?"

"W-what?! W-wait, could you just slow down?!" he said, surprised by her quick analysis

"I'm merely wondering if your relationship is as steady and perfect as you claim it is…" she said innocently "It really is none of my business, but I was a little curious"

"W-well, you're right! It really isn't your business" he said, frowning

"Hmmm..." Azula eyed Sokka with even more curiosity, to the extent of making him blush slightly due to her stare.

"Will you quit it?" he asked, embarrassed

"You've forced this trip upon me without a second thought, I believe I have the right to make you to talk about this" she said, smirking in satisfaction

Sokka sighed and looked at her with stern eyes, asking her through his eyes he she truly would make him explain the situation to her. She didn't relent at all under his stare; she actually raised both her eyebrows as if prompting him to speak already. Sokka sighed and turned away again, but this time, he was resigned to her will.

"Things between me and Suki aren't going so well lately" he muttered "And I guess the main reason is because... because I still haven't told her about what happened between me and you"

Azula frowned; she hadn't expected him to hide this from his girlfriend

"Why?" she asked "You said you wanted to be the one to explain this to her, so... why haven't you?"

"Because I'm afraid" he admitted, sighing "I don't want her to hate me for what I did... I betrayed her without even realizing what I was doing..."

"Indeed, it was very foolish of you" muttered Azula "But she's a fool too, and fools go together. You might be worried for no reason, probably by telling her the truth and assuring her that what you did meant nothing to you, she'll be swayed by you. In fact, you should probably criticize my kissing skills, tell her I was the worst you've ever had and she'll be happy to take you back"

Sokka looked at her in disbelief, and she smirked at him. He wouldn't have imagined she'd give him solutions to help him solve his issues with Suki, although she probably was just joking by it.

"I never thought you'd be the type to give me advice" he said, smiling "But I guess I'll take it, even if it's not entirely true and when I don't know when I'll talk to Suki..."

"It's not entirely true?" she repeated, surprised "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you can figure that out for yourself, can't you?" he said, flashing her with a dashing smirk.

Azula stopped dead on her tracks as she looked at him. Wasn't she the worst he'd had? Well, to be honest she never truly believed she was, but she had expected him to claim the opposite just to diminish her... had that kiss been as wonderful for him as it had been for her? Also… had it actually meant something to him? She was sure he had acted upon a crazy urge, and that he regretted having done what he did... but did he actually treasure what had happened? Did he really care about it? She would have asked him, but while she had been pondering about these matters, he had kept walking steadily, leaving her behind as he neared the southern exit of the Capital. She sprinted after him, wondering if she should bring up the subject again, but she didn't find the courage within her to do so.

Thoughts about the same matter kept circling inside her head until the hiking became too intense for her to keep thinking and reflecting upon the issues that troubled her. After leaving the Capital through a rough climb on the southern end of the crater, they had walked down plains and plains full of bugs, critters and whatnot. The run shone upon them with far more strength that they had expected; it was mid-evening already and they were still feeling the warm light bathing them. Azula had never walked so much, she was used to the luxuries of having a ride of some sort, be it a palanquin or a steed such as a Komodo Rhino or Mongoose Lizard. The road wasn't too rough, but she hadn't expected to be walking for so long. Sokka, on the other hand, was more than happy to stroll around the Fire Nation without being hunted down by soldiers or crazy princesses such as the one he was traveling with today. He had truly missed going on trips, his sedentary life was starting to annoy him nowadays, he truly needed a break from the slow pace his life had picked up; thus he knew he wouldn't regret going camping with Azula, even when he still feared her slightly... but he had come to discover she was far more interesting than she was terrifying.

They stopped a few times for Azula to rest, since she didn't have enough stamina to travel such long distances. After a few hours of walking, Sokka finally felt a little compassionate and he took some of her luggage, allowing her to travel a little more lightly. Nonetheless, she still fell behind several times and he had to slow down to accompany her.

By the time the sun was setting, they had reached the edge of a forest. Sokka inspected it for a minute while Azula rested with her hands on her knees, panting.

"Well, I guess this is a good place to camp" decided Sokka with a grin.

To his surprise, Azula dumped the few bags she was carrying and she collapsed on the floor without thinking at all about how inadequate her behavior was; she was too tired to care about proper etiquette anymore.

"Are you okay?" he asked, approaching her

"Of course... I'm not..." she growled "I... hate you..."

Sokka didn't appreciate her comment, he wasn't too intent on making her hate him, but he couldn't do anything about it anymore. Or maybe he could...

Azula was panting and wiping the sweat off her brow by the time Sokka approached her and offered her a water bottle.

"Here, have this. I guess there's no way to make your despise for me to go away, but this might help you out..."

Azula stared at him in surprise; truth to be told she didn't hate him for real, she was merely angry because she had been forced to walk so far. But to see him try so hard to attempt to soothe her rage and help her get by her exhaustion was far more soothing than he could possibly imagine. She took the bottle from him and Sokka stood up again, smiling.

"Drink water and relax for now, Princess. I'll set up my tent and I'll help you make yours when you're back on track, alright?"

"Alright..." she replied, and he walked towards the edge of the forest to set his tent. She looked at him as he started his work and, since she believed he wouldn't hear her, she muttered "Thank you, peasant..."

A smile spread through Sokka's features due to her words, which had been within earshot despite Azula believing they weren't. He knew there was a kinder side to the prodigious firebender, but witnessing it more than once made him feel like the most fortunate man alive.

Azula sat and waited for around half an hour for her body to stabilize once again. She drank mouthfuls of water every now and then, her gaze lost in the horizon as she heard Sokka struggle while setting up his tent. Every now and then she would hear his comments on how long had it been since he'd last gone camping, and she'd chuckle whenever the tent collapsed because of a slight miscalculation he'd made. Finally, Sokka managed to make his tent and he smiled proudly at the result

"Well, that's that!" he said "I'm all set! Now it's your turn!"

"Good. Go make mine too" muttered Azula, still too tired to move.

"Oh, no! Not a chance, Princess!" he said "I made you come here because I wanted you to learn how to camp, and setting up your tent is step one!"

"Go to hell..." she said, closing her eyes "Let me sleep"

"No, I won't! If you sleep like this you'll catch a cold, and I'm not going to nurse you back to health and help you blow your nose, so move!"

"I refuse... You can't make me..." she declared, and Sokka sighed

"Fine, I'll go gather wood for the fireplace... but I assure you that once I'm done with that, we're going to set up your tent! So get ready for it!"

Azula grunted in disagreement, proof of how little interest she had in setting camp. She was starting to think she should never have wanted to leave the Palace; no attempts to shun away bad memories should be as challenging and tortuous as a trip to the wilderness. With those last thoughts, she closed her eyes once more and drifted away in the waves of her subconscious, letting herself fall asleep without even realizing it.

Sokka returned about half an hour later, his arms wrapped up around logs and wood for their campfire. He set them down and stared at her with kindness, glad to be able to stare at her without restraints for as long as she didn't open her eyes. Most of the time he attempted to ignore his feelings towards the girl, her biting attitude and cold demeanor made it really hard for him to accept he felt attracted to her, but whenever he caught her off guard, he could do nothing but marvel at her beauty and wonder why, if she seemed so peaceful and calm as she slept, was she always so stingy and malicious when she was awake... It wasn't as if he weren't used to her devilish criticism, in fact, he might even look forward to it at times just to see if he could find a way to counter her arguments, but he truly wished she could be as relaxed and calm as she seemed to be now. Maybe he could help her cast away her anger and distrust towards other somehow... he truly wished there was something he could do for her. But for now, the one thing he might be able to do would be to stand by her side and try to distract her from the matters that troubled her, even when he couldn't even fathom what they were.

"Pssst... hey, sleepy-head..." he said, kneeling next to her and shaking her shoulder gently "Time to get up and make your tent..."

Azula stirred, still too sleepy to think straight about what was happening. She wasn't used to having someone wake her up, and it took her brain about half a minute to register she was lying on the ground rather than on a bed or couch… That was when it all came back to her. She blinked, remembering she was supposed to be on a camping trip with the Water Tribe peasant; her eyes began to focus as she looked at him with drowsy eyes, wondering why was his blue gaze so enticing and appealing…

"Hey… you awake now?" he asked, lifting her up to a sitting position

"I… I think so" she muttered, rubbing her eyes

"Good" he said, smiling "It's time to set up your tent, then!" he declared, standing up as she sat on the ground, still trying to regain control over her senses

It took her a second to realize he was extending his hand towards her to help her up. She stared at him, dumbfounded, before deciding to take his hand… not every day did someone offer her a helping hand like this…

Before she knew it, they were working on her tent. In only fifteen minutes they managed to set it up, despite the fact that Sokka took much longer to fix his; having another person helping him out sped up the process considerably. To his relief, Azula didn't seem to mind that he wouldn't set up the tarps, since the skies were completely cloudless on this particular night. He had expected her to act in the same way as Katara, claiming that they had to be ready for anything, but the Princess was too tired to be fussy right now.

"Well, that's that!" said Sokka, grinning at the Princess's tent "It's actually way bigger than mine…"

"It's only logical for it to be bigger" she said "I'm Royalty, you're a peasant. It's the natural order of things"

"But still, it's a little too big" he said "You could fit about three people in here if you wanted to… well, you could fit an entire family just in your bed back in the Palace, but still…"

"What did you just say…?" she muttered, frowning

"I said you could fit a whole family in your bed…" he said, and suddenly he realized the error on his words

"How exactly would you know that, peasant?" she asked with a very dangerous grin

"I… I just… I merely assumed…" he muttered, as she walked closer to him and he staggered backwards

"I may not have the skills of your blind friend, peasant…" said Azula "But I still can tell whenever somebody is lying straight to my face, so you'd better speak the truth, or else you'll face dire consequences…"

Sokka surrendered after those words, knowing she'd try to kill him anyway… so it'd be better if she slay him for telling the truth, right?

"I… was looking for you, back when I was trying to prove I was related to the Northern Water Tribe's Royalty…" he said "And I just opened and took a peek at your room to see if you were there, but I swear I didn't enter your room! I just looked and left! I swear!"

Azula threatened him with her glare, as usual, trying to force anything else out of him, but that had been the truth indeed. She stepped away from him; still annoyed because she felt her privacy had been breached.

"Sorry…" he said, gulping "I really didn't mean to see your room like that…"

"It's a little too late to regret it now, peasant" she growled, folding her arms

Sokka sighed and walked to the pile of kindling he had collected; and, after organizing it in the best way possible, he looked at Azula with pleading eyes

"Could you please get the fire running with your firebending? It'd make everything a little easier on both of us…"

Azula glared at him again, making him cringe; such death stare promised to set him on fire instead. Nonetheless, she walked to the fireplace and she flicked her fingers towards it. A single blue blaze fell amongst the logs and set them on fire slowly and steadily, warming both of them up quickly; it was already dusk, so the temperature was starting to decrease.

"You hungry?" he asked, searching in his pack for the food they had brought with themselves

"Of course I am" she said, sighing "That journey was truly exhausting…"

"It really was" said Sokka, taking out three food containers from the bottom of his luggage "Well, we've got Gummies, Flakes and Crisps to make up for all the energy we wasted!"

Azula sighed in disappointment, staring at the three containers with dislike

"This has got to be one of the worst days in my life, meals-wise" she muttered

"Yeah, mine too" Sokka admitted with a smile

Azula had been thinking about how badly she missed real food when she realized Sokka was digging holes on the ground, near the fireplace. She frowned and watched him with curiosity, wondering what he was doing. Sokka felt her stare upon him and raised his head just when he was about to start burying the containers inside the earth

"You… don't know what I'm doing, do you?" he asked, and she shook her head "This is a simple way to warm up your meals when you're out camping. You just dig a hole near the fire and you put the food within; after you bury and cover it again, you just wait for a while and the food will be all set to be eaten!"

"Really?" she asked, surprised "I hadn't heard of such a thing before…"

"I guess not" he said, smiling "Well, you've learned a new trick today! How does that make you feel?"

Azula frowned and stared at him with mild confusion

"How should it make me feel? I don't feel anything in particular about it…" she said "The only thing I feel right now is an urge to have someone tie my hair up…"

Sokka eyed her with interest, realizing he hadn't seen her with such messy hairdo ever before. She had been with her hair down for the whole day, and at first it had been fine, but after the long walk, the short nap she had enjoyed and the hard work to set up her tent, her hair was starting to curl up and become really messier than before.

"Can't you tie it yourself?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

"N-no…" she muttered, embarrassed "Each time I try to do it, it doesn't end well…"

Sokka smiled and got up from where he had been sitting. Azula followed him with her eyes and was surprised and infuriated to see him searching for something inside her pack without asking for permission at all.

"What do you think you're doing, peasant?!" she asked, getting up and walking towards him just as he took out her personal hairbrush from her bags

"Here it is!" he said, smiling

"What…?" she said "What do you want to do with my brush, you idiot?!"

"You said you can't fix your hair, so I'll do it for you!" he claimed happily, shocking her.

The Princess stared at him in total disbelief as he smiled towards her. Why would he do something like this if she hadn't ordered him to…?

"Come on, sit down!" he said, pushing her down and making her gasp, surprised. He kneeled behind her, and began brushing her hair before she could say anything at all "Maybe I won't do a good job at this… I've only ever brushed Suki's hair, she likes to force me to brush it… Your hair is far longer than hers; I hope I can handle it…"

Azula felt a blush rising on her face as she felt his hands caressing and arranging her hair; she couldn't remember the last time someone brushed it without her express permission or orders to do so… there were far too many things she didn't understand about this peasant. Why was he so happy to do her favors without expecting anything in exchange? In fact, he surely was expecting to be attacked and reprimanded by her… but nonetheless, here he was, brushing her hair as if none of that mattered to him. What was wrong with him?

"Now onto the bangs…" he said, after straightening her hair. He crawled towards her front and fixed her fringes carefully; Azula blushed even more now that he was in plain sight, and she wondered if he would notice her embarrassment… "Perfect!" he said, smiling "Now you're perfectly tidy once more! Well… I guess you're not up to your usual standard, but it's something, right?" he said, handing her the brush

"Right…" she muttered, using the item to part her hair to both sides of her face, which she did whenever she couldn't tie her hair up in her usual top knot.

Sokka smiled and looked up at the sky, which was getting darker and darker by the minute. As Azula fixed her appearance, he merely stargazed for a minute, realizing the two stars that had caught his eye back when they had been on the highest room of the Palace were already shining above them. A blue star, and a red star… he smiled at the sight, and he found himself beaming even more when he caught sight of the moon. Ever since the happenings in the Northern Water Tribe, he would just sit and wait for the beautiful white orb to appear on the night sky for hours and hours, and he couldn't repress a smile whenever he saw her rising above the mountains and woods.

"Good to see you again, Yue…" he said, startling Azula

"Who are you talking to?" she asked, frowning and bringing him back to reality

"W-wha…?! N-nobody, don't mind me…" he said, smiling with discomfort and turning back towards the fireplace.

Azula frowned as she put her brush back in her luggage. She stared at him, wondering what was going through his mind… There really was much more to this particular peasant than what met the eye.

They ate in silence after about ten minutes, and as Sokka had guaranteed, the food was warm and delicious. Eating snacks wasn't particularly fulfilling for either one of them, especially for the ever-hungry Water Tribe Boy, but they knew complaining wouldn't do well to the camping trip at all. Azula kept glancing at him now and then, still wondering what he was thinking about… and he happened to notice she was looking at him when he put away the food for the night.

"Is something the matter, Princess?" he asked, surprised.

Azula didn't relent; she just kept looking at him.

"I may have said many things about you, peasant… but I guess that, since it's a special day and we're under special circumstances too, I'll be honest with you for once" she muttered, her usual fierceness gone.

"Uh… alright" he said, gulping

"There are many things about you that I don't know" she said "And even when normally I wouldn't care about whatever secrets a peasant is hiding, for some reason I can't do the same this time"

"Huh, so I'm a mysterious hunk, you say?" he said, smirking as he stood up

"I never said the word 'hunk', for the record" she muttered "But you are full of mysteries, far more mysteries than most the people I know"

"W-well, so are you!" he said, folding his arms "There are a million things about you I'd like to know, yet I've given up hope in discovering them…"

"There are many things you want to know about me?" she said, feeling slightly nervous. Not every day did she hear somebody was interested in discovering more about her…

"Sure, but I don't think you'd tell me anyway…" he said, walking away from the fireplace and dropping on the ground, right on the spot where Azula had fallen asleep earlier.

Azula didn't know why she felt propelled to walk towards him and sit down to his left, still staring at him

"What if you tell me a few things about yourself… and I'll tell you some about me in return?"

Sokka sat up in surprise, eyeing her in disbelief. Was she truly saying the words she was saying?

"Y-you mean that?" he said "Seriously?"

"There are many things I want to clear up…" she muttered, lowering her gaze "… and for all I know, I won't have a better chance to ask about them than this one. So… why shouldn't we do this?"

Sokka was dumbfounded at first, but then he found himself smiling positively as he nodded towards her

"Alright then… let's do this. But we're both going to be completely honest, okay? We'll answer everything straightly, and we'll keep the mockery and the sarcasm to a minimum… agreed?"

Azula nodded and looked at him in the eye again, all trace of her usual defiant self gone completely

"Agreed"

_The first step to find real love is to open up your heart. Allowing themselves to accept each other's attributes and flaws, the lovers will be much closer to each other than ever before, strengthening their union through the powers of the red string of destiny._


	13. 13: Naked-The Temperature of Your Tears

Sokka lay down on the grass, looking at the stars. He gulped and played with his fingers before addressing the Fire Nation Princess once more.

"So… what do you want to know?" he asked, feeling slightly nervous.

Azula frowned and stared at him, wondering how to pose her question. She turned again and lost her gaze on the horizon while she organized her ideas until she finally knew found a way to talk to him.

"Back when you snuck up on me, when you were staring at me through the door I'd left ajar…"

"I wasn't sneaking…"

"Shut up and listen, peasant" she grunted, and he effectively fell silent "You were there, you saw me… and you didn't turn around, fleeing to tell my brother about what you'd seen. You didn't make fun of me either… in short, you didn't do any of what I'd have expected you to do if you ever saw me in my weakest state. I was sitting there, crying for reasons you'd never understand, and instead of laughing and celebrating to see me suffer, you were simply there, watching. And when I heard you, and I yelled at you to leave, you didn't do it… why? Why did you stay instead of running away? Why did you lunge at me instead of fleeing my fire? And why did you do all those things without even caring about how I was hurting you…?"

Sokka sighed. He knew he'd have to answer these questions eventually, but he didn't think Azula would be the one to ask them. Nevertheless, he wasn't surprised to hear her question him like this, he knew very well how confusing and unexpected his actions had been.

"I guessed you'd always wanted to know this, though I never thought you'd bother asking me about it" he said "You're the type that reaches her own conclusions all the time, aren't you?"

"I tried to reach a logical conclusion this time, but I just couldn't do it" she muttered "No matter how much of a gentle soul you are, there's simply no way you would have done so much for me without having something to motivate you to do it. That's the one clue missing within all the leads I have to solve this mystery, and I don't know what it is. Will you tell me now?"

"I guess I haven't got a choice, huh?" he said, smiling "It's true, there's something you didn't know about… because you're right, why on earth would I've stayed there and tried to comfort you when all you'd ever shared with me had been conversations in which you insulted and made fun of me? I'd really have to be the worst masochist in the world, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure you are, even if you had an ulterior motive for what you did…" she muttered, but Sokka ignored her

"The thing is… remember when I tried to convince you I was related to the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yes…" she muttered, irritated "You mentioned it earlier. Did you fall in love with my room and decided you would be nicer to me because of such petty reason?"

"Don't be ridiculous" he said, rolling his eyes "I was looking for you all over the Palace, but I couldn't find you… and I only caught a glimpse of your room, dammit! Why can't you fit that into your head already?!"

"Keep going and stop talking about my room" she said, glaring at him "We've settled that, haven't we?"

"B-but you were the one who brought it up again!" he said, indignant

"Keep going or I'll skewer you!" she yelled, and Sokka gave up the argument

"Fine, fine… the thing is, I walked all over the Palace" he said "And I couldn't find you anywhere. I ended up walking a little farther and I wound up in the Coronation Temple and Plaza before I knew it"

Azula's eyes widened. She remembered clearly that she'd been there on that very day…

"And I found you there" said Sokka "At first I wanted to run to you and show you the scrolls, but I decided against it when I saw you weren't acting like your usual self… and that's where you started bending. Since I'm supposed to be completely honest here, I should say I was baffled by your skills. Up until then, your fire had been nothing short of terrifying… but that was because you kept directing it towards me. This time you were training, I guess… and it was the first time I thought any kind of bending was beautiful. Normally I just don't care about it either way… but I couldn't avert my eyes back then. I'd never seen someone correspond his bending in the way you did with your fire, and I've met some really good benders…"

"F-for how long… were you there?" she asked, frowning

"Right after you launched yourself upwards and plummeted down again" he said "I saw you on your knees and… and I guess you were crying. I thought I should do something, but I knew you would have killed me if I had dared approach you, so I decided not to… and I returned to the Palace, trying to pretend I hadn't seen you at all, but I guess I came off a little short…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"I saw you later, remember?" he said "And I showed you the proof of my relation to the Northern Water Tribe, and even when you were clearly trying to pick up a fight with me, I didn't let myself fall for your ruse for the first time. I don't know why I did it, but… I guess I just wanted to discover more about you, and falling for all your tricky ruses was something I had to discard if I wanted to know why you were crying and why you were so lonely…"

"It's not difficult to figure out why I'm lonely" she said, shrugging "But then… you wanted to know why I was crying? Why did it matter to you?"

"Because the Azula I was used to wouldn't crumble down and weep for no reason" he said, smiling "And the Azula I know nowadays wouldn't do it either. There was something behind it, wasn't there?"

"I guess there was…" she said "But what I meant to ask was: why would you have cared about it? Why should my ability to cry mean anything to you?"

"I don't know" he said, truthfully "I guess it just changed my perspective on you. Before then, you were just the cruel and heartless Princess Azula, one of my least favorite people in the world… I was sure you had no feelings; I thought you just wanted to ruin everyone's lives… But when I saw you there, I knew there was so much of you I'd never known and that I'd never bothered to discover either, and I realized then that barely anyone knew about this side of you, most people still think in the same way I did… and they're wrong. You really aren't heartless or evil… I guess that's just a defensive mechanism of yours to shun away people who aren't worthy of discovering who you really are"

Azula stared at him, dumbfounded. It seemed like this young man had given far more thoughts to her actions than she had.

"You might be right…" she said "But to be honest, the reason why I tease and verbally torture other people is because it's the most fun activity I can get engaged in. It must sound ridiculous to you, I'm sure…"

"It is a little ridiculous" replied Sokka, smiling "But if you say so, I'll believe it. We're supposed to be totally honest today, aren't we?"

"Indeed" muttered Azula "So… was that the motivation that prompted you to get through my fire blasts?"

"In a way" he admitted "When I saw you in that room, I was still thinking I didn't understand why you would cry… and I just wanted to stop you from shedding more tears. It seemed so wrong to see you in such deranged state… When you saw me, I did think about running away, but I knew that wouldn't solve anything, and you wouldn't stop crying if I fled. I couldn't even fathom to think you'd break down again even in my absence, I just felt an incredible urge to wipe your tears. 'A girl like her shouldn't cry' was the one thought in my head… and if I could do something to help you out, I would. Of course, things got slightly out of hand later, and I apologize for it… I didn't mean to kiss you; I was too stuck in the moment to even think of what I was doing…"

"You regret it that badly?" she asked, folding her arms as she expected him to give her an evasive answer

"I did later on, because of how stupid I'd been to forget about my relationship with Suki when I let myself lose control over you" he admitted, shrugging "But when it happened… I have to admit it was one of the best kisses I've ever had. Not like I'm going to ask you for another one or anything of the sort…" he said, blushing as he shook his head

Azula raised an eyebrow, surprised. This truly was an honesty session, wasn't it? He had said he had enjoyed their kiss… somehow, that made her feel much better than she had in a very long time. A smile spread through her face before she could think about suppressing it…

"Have I answered you well enough?" he asked "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Maybe, but I can't think of anything right now" she muttered, her head full of a sparkly feeling due to discovering he had liked their kiss.

"Then… can I ask you something this time?" he said, looking at her with serious eyes

"W-what do you want to know?" she muttered, surprised at his stern demeanor

"You might not want to tell me… I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, in fact" said Sokka "But I'll just take a plunge and ask… why were you crying? What made you cry those two times I saw you?"

All the happiness she had been feeling after his previous claims vanished in thin air. Sokka witnessed the emotion that took over her, her eyes grew darker and she clenched her fists at the mere thought of what troubled her.

"It's… it's okay if you don't want to tell me…" he muttered, looking at the sky again "I was just curious, but it's more than fine if you decide not to say anything…"

Azula stayed silent, which made Sokka think she truly wasn't willing to reply to his question. Well, at least he had asked her and she hadn't killed him… it was a far better result than what he had expected. But suddenly…

"When I was on the Coronation Temple and Plaza I merely broke down because that's the place where I'd been forced to give up on everything about me" she said "I was overcome by my emotions before I knew it, because that was where I fell into my own darkness for the first time… where I'd lost all I cared about, all my wishes, all my glory, everything just vanished… thanks to your sister and my brother, to boot"

"Yeah, I guess our siblings really screwed things up for you back then" Sokka said, smiling a little. He had expected this answer, but something about it brought forth his curiosity once more "When you said you'd fallen into your own darkness… what did you mean by that?"

"Do you think I was sent to the Mental Hospital because they thought a prison was too light a punishment for me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow "I'm pretty sure Zuko wanted to lock me up next to our father; but I truly went through a psychological breakdown, whether you believe it or not…"

"Really?" he said "It's just that… it's a little hard to believe. I guess I don't know because I didn't see you back then… by the time I arrived to the Capital they had already shipped you off to the Institute"

"I was going through a severe crisis within my own head" she said "I went through a mental lockdown, or so I was told…"

"I remember Zuko said something about that…" muttered Sokka "But what exactly is a mental lockdown?"

"I got lost within my own mind" she muttered, her expression growing darker by the minute "I was delusional, imagining things, seeing people talking to me, feeling pain and anguish due to fictional happenings… It was like a very long dream, maybe. You know how it is whenever you're dreaming and a million things happen in what feels like a second, and they have no connection one to the next…?"

"Yes, I've been through that" he said "Was it like that?"

"Very much" she muttered "In fact, it was worse because it felt too real and it didn't seem to have an end at all. I couldn't wake up from it. Eventually I even found myself questioning who I was, wondering if I'd been lost within the realm of my head for my entire life, and maybe I wasn't even a Fire Nation Princess, maybe I had no firebending skills, maybe I had imagined this entire world because the reality was too painful for me to bear… And one day, I suddenly woke up. I didn't even realize I'd waken up, to tell you the truth. I found myself locked and chained to a stretcher, I couldn't move or do anything other than shriek in despair… some nurses entered the room by then, surprised to see me react like this. They gave me a shot, some sort of sedative, I think, and I feel asleep for real this time. The recollection of merely sleeping without dreaming was what made me wonder if I was back to the real world… It took me several weeks to return to my usual self. To my surprise, my Uncle went to visit me often after hearing I'd come to. Also Ty Lee showed up, and despite all warnings she received about me being a dangerous psycho, she just threw her arms around me and cried saying she was happy to see I was okay. If she hadn't done that, I probably never would have forgiven her for her betrayal… but after she hugged me, I started to rethink about things… and I ended up apologizing to her instead"

"Why?" asked Sokka, surprised

"Because I'd been controlling her with fear and cruelty when she really cared about me" muttered Azula "I think she's the only person who really does… I was heartless towards her, but she didn't care about that, she still stood by me and ran to me as soon as she heard I was back on my feet. It prompted me to acknowledge that maybe trust really was for fools, but when it came to Ty Lee, I guess I should become just as foolish as she is"

"Wow… I guess I underestimated your friendship" he said, smiling "Seems like you've got someone to rely on, after all…"

"I'd say I do, but Ty Lee is too busy nowadays. Even if I wanted her to hear me pour my troubles out to her, she'd probably have no time for me" said Azula

"So… that's the story behind your breakdown, then?" asked Sokka "Zuko talked to me about it, but he didn't know much about it anyway"

"He wouldn't have understood even if I'd explained it to him a million times" said Azula "My brother is an idiot, after all"

Sokka chuckled and played with his fingers again, thoughtful

"So I guess that's why you cried back on the Coronation Temple and Plaza" he muttered "But what about when I found you in that room? Was it for the same reason…?"

Azula sighed, looking incredibly depressed at the thought

"No, it wasn't" she said "It was for another motive. But I don't really know how to explain this… I've never actually talked about this before"

"You can do it if you want to" he said, looking at her "It might help you feel better, who knows?"

Azula looked at him, her eyes full of worry and concern. Would he think she was an idiot for being troubled over these matters…?

"You might not understand this at all" she said "You must have had a much better childhood than mine…"

"In what sense are you saying that?" asked Sokka, raising an eyebrow

"Well… I'm just guessing you had both your parents with you, didn't you?" she asked

"Not for as long as you think I did" muttered Sokka "My mom died when I was a kid, on a Fire Nation raid to our village"

Azula's eyes widened, seeing the pain on the boy's face.

"I'm sorry…" she said "I can imagine how rough it must have been for you…"

"It wasn't so bad" said Sokka, smiling encouragingly "I guess I regret not having known my mother much more than I did… She spent most her time with Katara, while I'd go with dad…"

His words were like an echo to her situation. She eyed him with interest, and Sokka raised an eyebrow

"What's the matter?"

"I… I guess our childhoods were similar, then" she muttered "I didn't get to know my mother either; she would spend every waking moment with Zuko while I learned advanced firebending from my father. She seemed to believe that, since our father would mistreat Zuko, she had to take care of him; and since our father favored me, I'd be fine without her. I guess I was… but at the same time, I wasn't…"

"What do you mean?" he asked

"My father praised me merely because he was witnessing his heir, the one person that could help him burn down the world and have it reborn from the ashes" she muttered "I was just a tool for him, something I only realized when it was too late, and that realization contributed to my downfall… It was then when I began questioning my mother the most. Why hadn't she cared about me at all? Why had she only loved Zuko, but hardly ever turned her face towards me? If she'd just been there for me, could I have walked down a better road on life and become a better person, someone my father couldn't have used…? I remember she scolded me all the time, telling me I had to stop being so cruel… do you want to know why I wouldn't stop? Because it was the only way she'd ever look at me. If I'd been good and I'd behaved nicely, she wouldn't have had any reason to turn her stare towards me… I just wanted her to love me, even if it was just a little bit… I didn't need her to say it every day, but hearing praises and kind words like the ones she used to tell Zuko was what I yearned for. Instead, I got to hear her say things such as 'What is wrong with that child?' 'When will you stop being so cruel, Azula?' 'Why can't you be thankful for what you have?' 'Why can't you be more like Zuko?'… Can you imagine how hellish it is to feel that the one person who's supposed to love you no matter what, hates you?"

"I… I can imagine" he muttered "My mom didn't hate me… she was there if I needed her, until she died, of course… but then… your mother never showed you any kindness at all? Not even once?"

"Just once" she said "I can only recall one opportunity in which she did… which leads to answer your question. I was crying inside that room because that's the one place where I remember seeing my mother smiling and playing with me rather than seeing her disappointed and disgusted towards me. It's the room I run to whenever I just want to be alone, because it's the one place in the Palace that brings me good memories rather than soiled ones…"

"What happened there?" he asked, curious "You were… playing, you said?"

"I may not remember it perfectly, I must have been about three years old" she said "My father was at a war meeting, I think, and Zuko was playing with Lu Ten, my deceased cousin. My mother was chasing me all over the Palace; I guess it was a game of tag. I hid inside this room and she found me in it while I was taking a look at the furniture, maps and old scrolls there were inside. I asked her to read one of those scrolls, and she did. I think I said something really silly or cruel, and rather than judging me, she just laughed because she knew it was my innocence speaking. I remember falling asleep on her lap as she caressed my hair and sung a song… and that's it. It's the only memory I have of her being kind towards me"

Sokka stared at her, feeling her pain. She truly hadn't had parents at all… and she'd had it far worse than Zuko in that sense, since at least Iroh had supported him, whereas nobody had stayed by Azula's side other than her father, who was a megalomaniac with insane plans to wreck havoc in the world as they knew it. With a childhood like this one, how could anyone judge her for what she'd become? She was just a victim, suffering far more damage to her mind than what everyone imagined… Not having been loved by either one of her parents, with only one true friend to rely upon, a friend that hardly had time to spend with her… His heart ached after hearing her story. If there really was something he could do for her, he'd do it. He truly would go to the ends of the earth if he could stop her suffering by doing so… but for now, he could only try to erase the pained look on the Princess's face somehow…

"Can I ask… what the scroll said?" he asked, surprising her

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, raising an eyebrow

"I don't know… I guess I'm just curious" he said, smiling "It's okay if you don't remember it anyway…"

"I do remember, in fact" she said "It was a silly romantic story, I think. I had no idea that was the theme, so I ended up really disappointed because I'd been expecting the narration of an epic battle… I remember it was about a boy who was wandering on a street and ran into an old man, who happened to be the spirit of the moon, and he…"

"WHAT?!" yelled Sokka, jumping up and startling Azula "What do you mean, old man?! The Moon Spirit is a beautiful young lady! Don't ever say it's an old man again, got it?!"

Azula stared at him in shock; his outburst was something she hadn't been expecting at all

"W-why does it matter to you so much if it's a girl or a man…?"

"It… it simply does!" he stuttered "A-anyway, just continue… b-but make sure to say it's a girl and not a man!"

"Okay…" said Azula, wary of Sokka's explosive reactions "T-the thing is, the boy saw the… beautiful lady, and he walked to her. She told him he was tied to his destined wife by the red string of destiny, which the boy found hard to believe. The lady showed him the girl he was meant to marry, and since the boy was merely a kid, he had no interest in taking a wife at such young age. Angry, he took a stone and tossed it at the girl, hitting her on the eyebrow, and he left immediately"

"Gee, what a gentleman…" said Sokka, gulping

"Indeed" commented Azula, chuckling "Anyhow, several years later, the boy's parents arranged his marriage, and everything proceeded smoothly. Since his wife wore a veil on her face during the entire ceremony, he didn't see she had an adornment on her eyebrow until they were together on their bedroom on their wedding night. He asked her why was she wearing it, and she told him a boy had thrown a rock at her when she was a little girl, and she had the adornment to cover her scar. I guess I don't need to tell you she was the same girl the old m-… t-the moon lady had told him he'd marry someday… right?"

"No, I figured it out easily" said Sokka, smiling "So… what's the deal with the red string anyway? I'd never heard about that before"

"I remember asking my mother about it too" she said "She told me that the moon god tied a red string around the fingers of people who were destined to become lovers for the rest of their lives, and that the moon god surely had tied the other end of my string to a great man… I told her that wasn't fair, that I wanted to be the one to choose the man I'd marry, and she laughed, saying she was certain I would, because I had a will strong enough to overcome a god's decision"

"I see…" muttered Sokka "Sounds like a weird thing the moon god would do…"

He looked up at the sky, straight towards the celestial white orb. Had Yue tied his red string of fate to someone, or had the two of them been tied together but they hadn't been allowed to be with each other? Maybe they had been meant to be, but Yue had decided to give him another chance at happiness and she had tied her end of the string to another girl… maybe to Suki. Or maybe… his heart beat wildly when he thought of the possibility as he looked at the Fire Nation Princess lying next to him, her eyes also fixated on the moon. Could it be…?

"So… what exactly is your deal with the moon spirit?" asked Azula, turning towards him and interrupting his thoughts

"My deal…?" he asked "Well… It's not a story I've told many people, to be honest…"

"You have made me talk about matters I'd sworn to myself I'd keep hidden for as long as I lived" she said, frowning "So just talk, will you?"

"Okay, okay…" said Sokka, lifting his hands in gesture of defeat "Back when I was on the road with Aang and Katara, we reached the Northern Water Tribe because those two needed a waterbending master to teach them how to control their powers. I had nothing much to do over there at first, but I happened to meet a very beautiful girl while I was there… her name was Yue, and she was the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. It was love at first sight for me, at least. I was very foolish and clumsy whenever I wanted to approach her, but she seemed to like me too. She even kissed me once, but she told me she couldn't be with be because she was engaged to marry someone else"

"Why did she waste her time with you, then?" asked Azula, frowning "If she was bound to marry someone else, she was only going to hurt you if she played around with you… didn't she think about that?"

"I guess she didn't" muttered Sokka, smiling "We were both really innocent, I guess, and really in love. But things turned around when the Fire Nation attacked the Northern Water Tribe; I guess you've heard about that…"

"We were completely thwarted" muttered Azula "Zhao proved to be unworthy of his promotions, my brother and uncle had the Avatar on their hands and let him slip, and there was some weird business with the moon…"

"Yeah, that's all you heard, huh?" muttered Sokka "Zhao had a horrible plan set in motion to render the waterbenders powerless. He went to the Spirit Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe, in which there were two koi fish: one was the Spirit of the Moon and the other was the Spirit of the Ocean. Zhao slay the Spirit of The Moon even when Iroh told him not to, because he'd face terrible consequences… around that time was when Aang went in a crazy Avatar State rampage and became some sort of giant koi fish and destroyed the Fire Nation's navy. Meanwhile, everyone was horrified over what had happened to the Moon Spirit, and Yue suddenly said she'd sacrifice herself and become the Moon Spirit to restore balance. You see, when she was born she was thought to be dead, and she was taken to the Spirit Oasis… and the Moon Spirit gave her of his own life to allow her to live. She decided to repay the favor now, and she became the Moon Spirit instead, telling me she would always be with me…"

Azula was astounded. She wouldn't have imagined Sokka had gone through such hardships… he was ever so sarcastic and silly, but he had been concealing deep sadness within himself. Even if he'd never established a relationship with the Water Tribe Princess, it was very clear he had loved her, and that he loved her still. Azula couldn't do anything other than wonder if he'd ever feel such powerful feelings towards another woman…

"That's pretty much it, I guess" said Sokka "And it's the reason why I don't tolerate anyone saying anything weird about the moon!"

"Right…" muttered Azula, in deep thought

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with worry

"Yes, there's nothing wrong with me" she said "I was just thinking… that you're far more refined than I thought you'd be. You can tell apart bad tea from good tea, you acknowledge the best food in this world is the Fire Nation cuisine and you fell in love with a Princess… you're a peasant with your sights set really high, aren't you?"

"Well, you could say so…" muttered Sokka, smiling "Maybe you should upgrade me and call me person rather than peasant! Or maybe call me… human? Non-bender…? Maybe you should just call me…"

"What about I just call you Sokka and that's that?" she said, blushing slightly

The last time she had said his name, she had merely been trying to anger the Water Tribe boy by telling him lies concerning Suki. But to hear her say those two syllables while feeling slightly embarrassed was something Sokka hadn't seen coming. He looked at her, and he chuckled at the sight of her reddish cheeks. To think she'd actually ignore her own pride and say his name like this was definitely proof that their relationship was deepening thanks to this long conversation.

"It's been a while since you said my name" he said, smiling at her

"It will be a much longer while if you pester me about it" she muttered, still embarrassed

Sokka laughed and let his gaze focus on the moon again

"Back then, when you asked me who I was talking to… I'd been talking to the moon. I guess I'm a bit crazy, aren't I? I mean… it's not like she can hear me…"

"I don't think you're crazy… I'd say you're more of a lunatic" she muttered, and Sokka stared at her in disbelief

"Good grief, that was a very bad joke, even for my standards!" he exclaimed, making her undergo an incredibly powerful fit of laughter.

Sokka ended up infected by her chuckles as well, and before they knew it, both of them were laughing side by side at her extremely silly joke

"You're the crazy one" he said, still smiling "Now I have no doubt about it at all"

"I couldn't help it…" she said, finally regaining her calm "Anyway… I think she might hear you. She's a spirit, isn't she? Their world works differently than ours. For all you know, she might even be looking at both of us right now from up there…"

Sokka smiled as he stared at the moon. Would Yue be happy to see him trying to help out the Fire Nation Princess? Would she feel proud of him?

"You know… I've never told Suki about Yue" he admitted suddenly, startling Azula

"What? Why?" she asked, staring at him with a puzzled expression

"Once, when we were watching a silly play about our lives, Suki saw the play-Sokka kissing the play-Yue and she made fun of me… I told her I was trying to watch and she got mad at me. Even since, I haven't really found the moment to tell her about Yue… She might not want to hear it, after all…"

"You're quite the coward, aren't you?" she said, raising an eyebrow "You can't tell her about your first love, you can't tell her about what happened between us… I'm not that knowledgeable in what concerns relationships, but I can assure you that keeping so many secrets from your girl will backfire at you eventually"

"You think I don't know that?" he said, sighing "I know it'll happen… but the more I try to bring myself to do it, the more courage I need… It's just too hard. I mean… if I tell her, she'll probably be mad and she might even dump me. If I don't tell her, things will become even worse than they already are… and we'll probably end up breaking up later on anyway. So… how am I supposed to make up my mind about this? It's much harder than it looks…"

"I guess it must be" she said "I just told you I really don't know anything about this, so don't come asking for my advice"

"I wasn't planning to" he answered, shaking his head

"You mentioned something about a play, didn't you?" asked Azula, folding her arms "What sort of play was it? When did you watch it?"

"Oh, it was back when we were still battling against the Fire Nation" said Sokka "I discovered there'd be a play about our adventures and we went to watch it. I guess I don't need to mention it sucked and, since it was a Fire Nation production, you and your father beat Aang and Zuko and the Fire Nation kept all its glory and power…"

"Huh…" said Azula, frowning "It was the natural outcome. Nobody expected me to lose against my brother, or that my father could fall against the Avatar. Whoever thought your arrowed friend could have defeated the former Fire Lord without entering the Avatar State was fooling himself"

"Well, things went our way anyway" said Sokka, folding his arms "And that crappy play was proven wrong!"

"I'm surprised to hear you guys had time for something as silly as a play" said Azula "Where did you watch it?"

"We were hiding out from you and your armies in Ember Island" said Sokka "And that's where we saw the play…"

"Wait, WHAT?!" she said, scandalized "You morons watched a production of the Ember Island Players?! What on earth is wrong with you? Of course it would suck!"

"Yeah, Zuko did warn us about how bad they were" admitted Sokka "We decided to go anyway… and believe me, we learned our lesson"

"I can't believe Zuko let you all watch something made by that group of mediocre pseudo-actors" she said, shaking her head "Was the goofy guy with the rabbit-like teeth still there? He was one of the worst actors the last time I watched them perform…"

"I guess you're talking about the guy who played me" said Sokka "And he was about the best this production had, to tell you the truth"

"Seriously? They're even worse nowadays?" she said, in dismay "Unbelievable… what was the girl playing me like?"

"Uh… lame, I guess" said Sokka "She was just a little similar to you, but she was no good anyway…"

"I guess you hardly paid her any attention, right?" said Azula, smirking "You were too busy studying the one who played you"

"W-what makes you think that?!" he said, embarrassed, but then he sighed and shrugged "Yeah, you're right. All I really remember is that she was wearing way too much makeup"

"They always went overboard on the makeup department" she said, smiling at his reaction "Anyway, if you wish to watch a real play, I recommend you go to Fire Fountain City. Last time I was there I got to witness some high-quality performances by fine actors. You should go sometime"

"I've been there" said Sokka, smirking "But I pretty much went to do other things rather than watch plays"

"Such as?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow

"Well, Toph, Aang and I were doing some crazy scams over there…" he said "We could have become rich thanks to it if it weren't because Combustion Man showed up out of nowhere and we had to flee to get away from him"

"Combustion Man?" repeated Azula, confused

"Uh… he's just some crazy killer Zuko sent behind us so that he'd get Aang" said Sokka, smiling with awkwardness "He firebended with his mind, he was some sort of weird metal man… do you know who I'm talking about?"

"I believe I do" she said "I heard a few rumors about a man who'd forged himself a name through beating people up on Agni Kais. I never met him in person; but I'm surprised Zuko knew him"

"I don't know where he found him, but he sent him chasing after us. Still, no need to worry!" said Sokka, smiling "I beat him with my boomerang"

"You did what?!" asked Azula, astonished "That useless man was slain by your stupid boomerang? No wonder I never even bothered meeting that idiot! What a weakling…"

"Hey! My boomerang is far stronger than you think it is!" he claimed, crawling towards her with an angry pout on his face. Azula smirked even more and shook her head

"You'd be far more fearsome if you still had your sword. But honestly, I can't take you seriously if you want to fight me with a silly boomerang"

Sokka growled at her, making her laugh, and he let himself lie down again, right by her side

"You'll regret underestimating me some day, I'll make sure of it" he said, folding his arms

"I look forward to it" she said, smiling "You've already proven that I've underestimated you several times anyway…"

"Huh, really?" he asked, smirking "Good to know, then"

They just lay there, next to each other, staring at the sky above them. Azula wasn't one too given to stargazing, but for some reason, she was enjoying this experience far more than anything she'd been through before. Camping was much more fun than she'd imagined it could be, but she knew that part of what made this trip so enjoyable was the silly peasant that lay next to her.

"So… Yue is tying up red strings of fate nowadays, isn't she?" muttered Sokka, making Azula turn her eyes towards the almost full moon again

"Maybe she is. That could be just a silly legend for all we know" replied Azula

"I wonder if she's tied me up with someone" said Sokka "Actually… maybe she's tied you up with someone already. What do you think about that?"

Azula snorted and shook her head in disbelief

"I rather doubt it. Your ex-girlfriend shouldn't punish any man by having him stick with me for the rest of his life" she muttered

"What?" said Sokka "Come on, you really don't think that way, do you?"

"You may not realize it because you're a masochist, Sokka" she said, making his heart skip a beat when he heard her say his name again "But being with me isn't something regular people should have to put up with. I'm not an easygoing person, and I rather doubt I'll ever feel any love or appreciation towards any man that tries to woo me, if there were any men out there who'd try to do something like that"

"Why wouldn't there be?" he asked, worried about her. She looked conflicted and sad now he'd brought up this subject "You're one of a kind! Maybe you're a little cruel and it's not easy to get along with you, but you're still amazing! You're a firebending genius, you're a prodigy in strategy too, and to top off your talents, you're beautiful too. What man wouldn't want you?"

"Maybe a man with common sense" she said, raising an eyebrow "Seriously… the question would be: what man would want me? I'm… I'm not marriage material, let alone girlfriend material. Men flee as soon as they see me, I don't even know how to flirt or talk to a boy without coming off as an awkward psycho to him… I can't even make friends! I'm the worst person to be with, not even you would stick to me if you had another choice, no matter how much of a masochist you are. Everyone fears me, and the worst part… is that it's my fault. I'm the one that brought my loneliness upon myself, and I acknowledge it whole-heartedly… I don't even remember how to trust somebody, how to accept someone without caring about his flaws, I just shape everyone to my liking, they have no say upon the matter. I've done horrible things, and to you and your friends, to make it all worse. So why should you even bother talking to me? I really am a monster, just like my mother always thought I was…"

"You're… you're not a monster, Azula" he said, turning towards her.

She felt his breath on her cheek, but she didn't dare look at him. For once, she was truly speaking the truth of what she thought about herself, and nothing he'd say would stop her or change her mind

"Stop it… I know myself well enough" she said, closing her eyes firmly "I'm too far gone to be saved anymore. Don't waste your time with me… Nobody on his right mind should bother being around me…"

Azula was startled when she felt his hand caressing her bangs, she turned to him and saw those wonderful and gentle blue eyes once again, staring at her so intently that it seemed as if he were drilling into her very soul.

"Don't say such things, Azula" he muttered "They're all lies until you start believing them too. Deep down you know you're not half as terrible as the entire world is trying to make you look. And after this conversation, I'm absolutely certain that you're not a monster. If your mother truly thought you were one, it's because she never bothered trying to know you at all"

"W-well… she didn't, actually" muttered Azula, unable to hold his gaze with her own anymore "Nobody did, because I just keep pushing everyone away. I'm just afraid of my own weaknesses, of my own mistakes, of letting me become someone I can't recognize anymore… I just keep trying to show I'm strong, but truth to be told ,I'm not. I'm just… alone"

"You're not alone anymore, dummy" he said, smiling at her "Maybe you were before… but your shields didn't hold up for as long as you wanted them to. You're right, barely anyone bothers to find out what's beneath your surface, and whoever tries, you scare away instantly. But even when I'm just a lowly peasant, when I'm a lousy idiot with a boomerang, I tried to figure you out… and I'm sure there's still many things about you I don't know, but all I've discovered so far has proven me that you're one of a kind. I've never known anyone like you, Azula…"

"B-but… I'm pure evil, aren't I…?" she said, feeling choked. Before she knew it, tears began flowing from her eyes, and she found herself clenching her teeth while trying to control herself. She didn't want to cry in front of him.

"You silly girl… you're not pure evil" he said, surrounding her with his arms and making her head rest gently on his chest "You've had a rough life, extremely rough for someone your age. Anyone else in your position would have hanged himself out of despair… but you're still fighting, still trying to find your own path in life, even if you have to do it on your own. And that's something only truly strong people can do, just so you know"

"B-but I've been strong… f-for far too long…" she said, clinging onto his shirt with hopelessness for the second time in her life "I can't take it anymore… I-it's too… too hard… I'm too lonely… I can't stand it… I just need… somebody, anybody…"

"Well, you've got someone right here" said Sokka, closing his eyes and caressing her hair kindly "I may not be what you had in mind, but I swear to you that every time you need me, I'll run to you. If you want me to be by your side, I will be, always. Even if you don't want me, I'll still be there for you, Azula. Because…"

He found himself choked upon those words. His reason to fulfill all those promises was blatantly obvious, wasn't it? But saying it out loud might cause him some trouble at the long run…

"Because I want to be the one to support you" he muttered, not lying, but changing what he had planned to say at first "I want to be the one to erase your tears and make you smile… and I don't need you to force me into this, I'm choosing to do it out of my own free will. Is that okay with you?"

Azula's shoulders shook with a sob before she replied

"Why…? Y-you have so many friends… you've got your girlfriend… why do you even bother looking at me? What have I done… to make you want to stay with me? I've hurt you! J-just take a look at your stomach! I'm sure those burn marks won't ever fade away! So… why? How can you be the one to show me kindness… w-when I'm only able to hurt you?"

"Because I don't care if you hurt me" he said "I'm more than ready to get hurt, be it by you or by anyone else. But for now… I've resolved to protect you from sorrow, in the best way I can do it. I just want you to be happy… I've seen you smile and laugh for real several times already; I want to make sure you can do it over and over again. I want to be your shield, your rock… I just want to stay by your side, and watch out for you… because no one has ever done it before, right?"

She shook her head, clutching him with even more strength.

"Then… will you let me try?" he asked, caressing her hair once more.

His question was bound to turn her world upside down. She knew that her life would change forever, no matter what she dared answer… so… why not change it for the best?

"Y-yes…" she muttered "S-stay… with me"

Sokka smiled and held her even tighter than before as she cried out her heart onto him. Maybe he hadn't managed to erase her tears… but embracing and comforting her as she cried was the beginning of the journey.

"You know… ever since you took me to the top room on the Palace's Main Tower, those two stars up there have caught my eye" he said, looking upwards towards the sky "One of them is red… the other one is blue. They sparkle, but if you stare intently, you'll notice those are their most recurrent colors. I wonder if they're staring down on us just as we watch them up there… I wonder if they're holding each other together in the same way I'm holding you now. They'll be together forever, always up above in the sky, you know? And even if they're not as close to each other as it seems, it's clear that their union goes beyond the distance that separates them… So if I leave the Palace some day, just look up at the sky and see these two stars. That way, you'll know I'll be like the blue star to your red star… I'll stay by your side forever, for as long as you need me. And I'll do my best to make sure that the guy that holds the other end of your red string of fate is actually worthy of you… because if he isn't, I'm going to kick his butt until he becomes good enough for you!"

Azula found herself laughing slightly at his claims, which satisfied him for the moment. He held her with care, as if he feared she might break if he squeezed her too hard, or if she'd fall apart if he didn't hold her together. He buried his face on her hair, taking in everything about this moment: her scent, her bodily figure, simply, everything. It was so hard to believe two deadly enemies, two people who had hated each other deeply for years, could be sharing such an emotional moment right now.

They lay on the grass for a very long time, both unwilling to separate at all. Azula was still clutching his clothes with an unsteady grip, Sokka still held her close, hoping to be able to patch up some of the wounds that scarred her broken heart. The night drifted away slowly, which Sokka noticed when he realized the moon was about to reach the very spot where the two stars stood at. He smiled, wondering if Yue was blessing their relationship, hoping that he'd find a way to mend the Princess's scavenged soul… it was then when he noticed the girl in his arms wasn't crying anymore, she had drifted into a very calm slumber. Perhaps knowing that he'd always be by her side had prompted her to let go of all her worries and simply sleep without a care, as long as she with him. Sokka smiled and put his arms underneath her, lifting her with both of them as he stood up.

Azula groaned when she realized they were moving, but since she could still feel Sokka was nearby, she didn't complain much. Sokka entered her tent and sent her down on her sleeping bag, but even when he was about to pull away, she wouldn't let go of him.

"Azula… it's time to sleep" he said, caressing her hair once more "I'll see you tomorrow again, okay?"

"No…" she said "Don't go… stay by my side… please, Sokka…"

The Water Tribe boy found himself losing his control when he heard her mutter those words. How could he leave her now? He… he just wouldn't. He couldn't. Not anymore, not even if it cost him his life

"Fine…" he muttered "But promise me that you won't try to kill me when you wake up tomorrow and find I'm here… okay?"

"Okay…" she said, probably too sleepy to remember the promise anyway.

Sokka smiled and set himself down right next to her. The two of them were too many people for a measly sleeping bag, but they hardly cared about it at all. Sokka reached out to his right and found the tarp they hadn't set over the tents, and he spread it over them, using it as a blanket as he had several times back when he'd been on the road with Team Avatar.

And so, holding each other close, feeling fulfilled and whole, they fell asleep facing each other. The Princess and the Peasant… suddenly such partnership seemed to be less unlikely than it had always seemed to be…

_Relationships must go beyond words and actions to prove their worth. Accepting the other in its entirety and loving every aspect about him will prove the red string of fate has been tied around the ideal lovers. But the lovers must work together to get through every adversity, they must hold each other up in the direst circumstances to ensure their love will last until the end of time. _


	14. 14: Faint Voice

Discovering her body felt completely sore the next morning wasn't an enjoyable experience for the Princess. She was used to sleeping in the most comfortable beds, and a simple sleeping bag just wouldn't do it for her…

She opened her eyes and was surprised to realize she wasn't alone inside the tent. Color rose on her cheeks as she took in the presence of the Water Tribe boy that was still holding her closely, his arms tight around her as if to never let her go.

Azula couldn't do anything but stare at him for minutes, taking in every detail she could about his sleeping face. She wouldn't have imagined he'd be such a calm sleeper; his attitude and demeanor made her figure he'd be the type of guy who'd spread all his limbs unconsciously, knocking over anyone who might be sleeping nearby. She was glad to discover otherwise… or maybe he really acted like that often, but he was so intent on staying close to her that his entire body ordered him to hold her as closely as possible…

She found herself blushing at the thought, but by this point, she was already used to feeling the blood rushing up to her head. He was so close to her… she could feel his steady breathing; she could've even heard the sound of his lips drying after a long night's sleep… She was fascinated by everything he was, especially after all the wonderful things he'd told her before tucking in. He'd stay by her side, no matter what… She had always wanted to have someone to rely on, someone she knew she could count on in any situation; she had expected said person to be like her personal assistant, maybe, but Sokka was definitely far more than that. He wasn't someone she could control, someone that feared her… he was someone who stood for himself even in the worst circumstances, even when he knew she could kill him if she only tried. This proved he was far stronger than anyone she'd ever met… would he prove to be strong enough to help her find her way in life? She truly hoped so. Ever since a while ago she had known she was growing far more interested in him, but now she knew she was completely lost in the wonderful young man that held her gently as he slept.

Being in love wasn't as bad as she always thought it would be. She was almost certain he liked her nearly as much as she liked him, so… why wouldn't it work out? She was prone to ruin any relationship by being proud and self-centered… but to be honest, if she were to become involved with him, she wouldn't care at all about what people said: she really wanted to be with him that badly. She kept studying his features, wondering what would happen once he woke up, evoking the sight of his breathtaking blue eyes while wondering if she could convince him to stay out camping for another night or so… She would be willing to hunt if it were necessary; she just wanted to stay near him for as long as possible.

Her horizons began to expand as her imagination worked its way towards the future. Maybe they could stay in the wild, couldn't they? They could make a living somewhere else, somewhere far from the Fire Nation, perhaps deep inside the Earth Kingdom in some village where nobody would recognize them. Changing her lifestyle in such drastic manner might be rough for her at first, but she truly felt that she could withstand whatever circumstances as long as he was by her side. And he had promised he would be… hadn't he? Running away had never been an option for her, until now… It wasn't as if she truly wished to discard her life as Royalty, but she had to acknowledge that these last three years had been the worst so far in her short life. If she were with him, she knew everything would improve… maybe they wouldn't live bathed in luxury, and they'd have to hire someone to cook for them, but nevertheless, she knew she would be happy if she could be next to him.

Her feelings were on a rampage right now at the mere thought of a life with him. Her mind was trying to tell her off for her infatuation, but she ignored all the warnings her common sense kept sending her way. Who cared if he was just a peasant? She knew it now: she loved him too deeply for anything else to matter. He was the one person she could open up to, the only man she could trust, and he'd proven over and over again that he was willing to be with her… so, why hold back? Why keep trying to fend away her emotions? She was actually enjoying them far more than ever; she had been almost certain that she was unable to feel such thing as love or actual happiness… but thanks to him, she had grasped something she thought unattainable. How much more was in store as long as she was with him? She smiled, her mind wandering back to the conversations they had been engaged in the night before. The red string of fate… her mother had said the other end of her thread was tied to a magnificent man, one that was worthy of her. She had claimed she wanted to choose… but had she? Had she chosen Sokka? Had she been the one to make him do all of these things for her sake? Of course not…

Surely she should be thanking the moon god, right? A smile appeared on her face as she sent a small prayer to thank Yue for ensuring her path and Sokka's would intertwine eventually; maybe Sokka had been meant to be with the Water Princess, but Yue's sacrifice had altered fate… and she had led him towards her. The thought was even more uplifting; to think that they were united by something invisible, intangible and unbreakable made her realize that they surely would overcome whatever hardship on their way if they were together…

She let the memories of the beginning of their strange and hectic relationship flood her, and she recalled the crazy event in which she had almost killed him with her fire… She had regretted not having caused him more pain before, but now she wished she hadn't hurt him. And to think he'd kissed her even after she had done such terrible things to him…

The kiss… it haunted her on every waking moment. She just stared at him, remembering how he'd said he'd liked it… that it was one of the best kisses he'd had. Well, of course it was! It had been amazing! She smiled at herself, thinking about how things had changed from that day onwards… She remembered that during their conversation on the previous night, he had said he wasn't going to ask her for another kiss, but that didn't mean he didn't want one, right? Every fiber of her body was begging her to do it, she had longed for the contact between their lips for far too long… her common sense began pestering again, but she wouldn't listen anyway, knowing it would scold her for behaving like a schoolgirl in love… she wasn't a schoolgirl, but she really was in love, no matter if her common sense judged her for it. And if she could steal a kiss from the handsome young man that was holding her, she wouldn't waste another second fending off her doubts and concerns…

She lifted herself upwards, their bodies even closer than before. She sought out his lips with her own, and she joined them together for the second time in their lives, closing her eyes to enjoy the contact between them thoroughly.

He didn't answer to her kiss; he was too much of a deep sleeper to realize what she was doing. Nevertheless, Azula didn't care at all. She had wanted to kiss him again so badly that it didn't matter if he'd correspond her in any way.

To her surprise, his arms tightened around her. She opened her eyes slightly, but he was still asleep. Deciding she wasn't in danger of being caught kissing him without his consent, she continued, feeling so pleased, in so much peace just by doing this… it was as if the touch between them were magical…

But that was the one moment when she lowered her guard… and her common sense finally got through to her, reminding her about the one thing she had forgotten about completely…

_He has someone else._

The realization made her stop immediately. She separated from him, staring at him in complete shock. Of course he had somebody else… he had his Kyoshi Warrior, and they were still in a relationship, even if he kept secrets from her. He wouldn't travel through the world with Azula, he had to go back to the Palace and see his girl again… only now did she realize that not even once had he claimed to feel love of any kind towards her… she had taken it for granted. She had assumed he felt the same way about her… but why would he? He was a wonderful and friendly guy, who was really popular, who would make friends everywhere he went… and he surely was only trying to show her he'd be an unconditional friend of hers with his words.

The downing upon these facts hit her worse than a bucket of freezing water striking her head. She pulled away, realizing how stupid she had been. Why would he ever want her? Why would he wish to be involved in a relationship with her? There was no reason… because he simply didn't want to. She had jumped to conclusions, she had miscalculated yet again when it came to her relationships; she mistook everything about them… and now she realized the moon god hadn't tied the other end to Sokka's thread to her: it was tied to Suki, it probably had always been.

The thought of him spending the rest of his life with another woman was demolishing. She felt choked up again on her feelings, but this time they weren't anywhere near joy and cheer; on the contrary, she felt stupid, deluded and ignorant…She couldn't take in so many emotions anymore; she might wake him up if she cried in front of him.

And so, against every wish she had, she disengaged from his embrace slowly, trying not to startle him. She crawled out of the tent and sat on the very spot they had been lying on during the night before, her gaze fixed on the mountains afar.

She had much to think about, and she had important decisions to make.

…

Sokka woke up around mid-morning, and he yawned loudly as he regained his senses. Slowly he remembered why he was lying down on a tent rather than in his comfortable bed back in the Palace, and he found himself unable to repress a smile as the events of the night before dawned upon him. He had finally gotten through Azula's thick surface and they had talked long and carefree about personal matters that they had never told anyone else before... He didn't know about how she felt, but he was truly glad to have shared that great experience with her. Not even back during the days when Team Avatar was out to save the world would anyone bother to ask him about how he'd felt after what had happened with Yue, they must have thought that talking about it would have been unbearable for him... and maybe it was at first, but after a while, he had wanted to speak of it to anyone, just to make sure somebody would understand how he'd felt, how he'd lost, how he'd suffered... So far, the only person he'd been able to talk to about this was Azula, and to his surprise, she had accepted everything about him with hardly any mockery or cruelty. She probably was glad to have someone to rely on now, but so was he: his relationship with her, be it whatever it was, had grown to mean more to him in a shorter span of time than most his bonds with other people.

It was then when he realized he had effectively survived the night, she hadn't tried to kill him after getting up... which he assumed she had already done, since she wasn't in the tent anymore. He'd actually been looking forward to holding her while waking up, but Azula must have had her reasons for leaving so quickly. Maybe she'd been hungry…? Nevertheless, Sokka stretched and sat up, feeling content for obvious reasons.

After yawning and ensuring he was in adequate shape to face the Princess again, Sokka crawled out of the large tent and walked outside, beaming at the sight of a new day. The kindling had been reduced to ashes overnight, only a pile of dark powder remained on the spot. Sokka didn't feel like heading into the forest to find more firewood, so he decided they'd have to eat a cold breakfast… it wouldn't be a great meal if he were to judge by the supplies they had brought, and surely Azula would be disappointed over it, but they'd get by somehow…

And speaking of the devil, Azula was sitting a little far from where he was standing, her back against him. Sokka raised an eyebrow, wondering if she had noticed that he was awake…

"Morning!" he said, expecting her to jump at hearing his voice, but she didn't react at all.

Assuming she simply wasn't a morning person, he searched for the containers with their food and checked their content, realizing they would probably have a hard time today with only snacks for substance for their trip back to the Palace.

"There are no Fire Flakes left" he said "So… do you want the Gummies or the Crisps? Or maybe you'd like to share…?"

Azula got up solemnly and walked towards him. Sokka frowned at her attitude, completely confused. She'd been fine up until now… was something bothering her after all that had happened the day before? She snatched the Sizzle Crisps from his grasp without a word and began eating. Her stomach pained her due to her hunger and it was begging her for better food than the junk she was supplying it with.

"Um… alright, then" said Sokka, shrugging at her attitude.

They ate in silence, something that gave Sokka a terrible sense of dread. He was afraid she was hiding something once more, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good news. He kept eyeing her while they ate, wondering if she'd even look at him at some point. Her gaze was fixed on the ashes of their fireplace, and judging by the emotion he could see on her eyes, she was in deep thought about something, but he didn't dare ask her until both of them were done eating.

"Are you okay, Azula?" he asked, frowning

He didn't expect an answer at all, judging by the way she was acting, but he was glad to hear her talk to him, even if her words weren't the ones he'd want to hear now.

"I'm not" she muttered, dropping the food container she had been holding. She stood up and walked away from Sokka, to his slight annoyance

"Why is that?" Sokka asked "Did something happen to you? Did I do something wrong?"

"I didn't think you'd be so dumb" she muttered "I guess I'll have to spell everything out to you, since you're not able to figure out facts for yourself…"

"Hey, what's the matter with you?!" he asked, frowning "What's going on? You were perfectly fine yesterday! Are you suffering of bipolarity, by any chance?"

"You're hilarious" she said, spiteful "I guessed you wouldn't understand anything about this…"

"Well, I assure you I won't understand anything if you don't explain in the first place" he said, standing up as well and looking at her with stern eyes "What's the matter? Weren't things fine last night? Or are you mad because we slept next to each other? Is that it?"

"Of course that's not it…" she said, shaking her head "But what happened last night… was nothing other than a mistake"

Sokka's eyes widened drastically, and he stared at her in disbelief

"What?" he said "A mistake? Do you even… do you really mean that, Azula?"

"Yes, I do" she said firmly, trying to force herself to believe her own lies "You… you have no idea of what you did, of what a turmoil you've caused within me… You don't have any clue of what it's like to be me, Sokka. You wouldn't possibly see what you did wrong, because that's what you're always like, isn't it? A great guy, always willing to save the lives of those around him, happy to be friends with everyone and everything, getting to the bottom of everything and figuring out every mystery he can get his hands on…"

"And what's wrong with that?" he asked, frowning "Is something wrong about the way I act? Shouldn't I try to help people around me?"

"You shouldn't do it in such lighthearted manner" she muttered "You may be seeing things under a different light than whoever it is you think you're saving"

"Fine, maybe that's true" said Sokka, approaching her "Nobody sees events in the same way as someone else, because we don't think the same way. There's no way two people think in the exact same manner, it's nigh impossible for them to understand each other perfectly… but what's wrong with that? That's the way life is! So… what's so wrong about it this time? What did this trip mean to you, and why did it make you so upset?"

Azula closed her eyes and turned her back on him, knowing he'd never understand the chaos there was within her soul due to the latest events. How could she even explain it to him properly? How could he ever realize how wrong he had been to try to aid her?

"Well? If you don't tell me, I'll never know what's going on!" he said, feeling angry now.

"Fine, I'll say it!" she said, trembling with rage "You think that all you did last night was the sweetest and nicest thing you could have done, don't you? You're sure you gave me everything I needed, that you've established yourself as my greatest and most valuable ally! But you're wrong! You've only made everything worse!"

"What? How could I've made it worse?" he asked, in shock "I'm trying to help you!"

"Then don't! I don't need your help!" she said "I'm too far gone to be saved anymore, let alone by someone like you!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, annoyed "Is it because I'm a peasant, then? Is this because you realized you opened up to someone who's not up to your standard?"

"That has nothing to do with it…" she said, clenching her fists "… you just don't understand. I don't care if you're a peasant, I don't care if you're a non-bender, I don't care if you're a weakling… All I cared about was what you said back then. You said… you said you'd be by my side no matter what. But it was a lie, even if you didn't know it was one"

"I was lying?" he said, in disbelief "How could you think that was a lie? What on earth would make you think I was lying?! I meant every damn word I said last night, whether you like it or not!"

"You meant them, alright!" she said, finally turning to face him. Sokka found himself aghast to realize he felt drawn to her beauty even when her features were slightly distorted by rage "But you had no idea of what your promises implied! I don't need 'a friend that stands by me whenever he's around', no! That's the least I need! It's what I already have with Ty Lee, and it makes me feel lonelier than if I was truly alone! I need someone who will be there for me, who won't ever leave me! Someone that can support me at my best and my worst! Someone that won't have me longing for his presence, because he'll be there, always! You know you can't do this for me, and if you think you can, you're lying to yourself! You have friends and allies everywhere, and to you, I'd just be one more to add to the group, but I'm not! I can't accept to be an extension of your circle of friends, I need far more than that! And you can't give me what I need, no matter how many times you try to convince yourself otherwise…"

"Why can't I do it?" he asked, frowning "What is it that you need, then? Believe me, I'm more than willing to do whatever you want me to! I told you so last night, didn't I? And I'm not as stupid as you think, there's no way you'd be just 'another one of the bunch'… you're one of a kind, Azula. I could never think of you in that way…"

"Stop it…" she said, gritting her teeth "You're not helping at all by saying those things…"

"Well, then… just answer me: what do you want from me?" he asked, approaching her even more, but she pulled away

"All I want is the one thing you can't give me!" she said, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to stream down her cheeks "Even if you think you can, you're wrong! You can't stand by my side forever, because you're supposed to be with someone else! No matter what I feel for you, you're not meant to be with me!"

Sokka stared at her in disbelief again. This couldn't be happening… could it? Was the proud and cruel Princess Azula claiming to have feelings for him?

"You think… that just by being my friend, you'll help me…" she said, lowering her head. Her hair fell to the sides of her face, covering her features "You can't. It… it won't work that way. I can't be the one you run to whenever your girlfriend isn't around; I can't just be a substitute for her whenever she's gone… I can't even stand to watch you two together anymore… only a few months ago I would have thought you were a perfectly matched couple of idiots, but now… everything's different now. Just to think about you living with her, making a family with her, growing old by her side… and meanwhile, I'd be right there, just watching how you live all the success you could have wished for, and once in a while you'd turn to me and tell me about how your daughter wants to be a Kyoshi Warrior like her mother, how your son is learning to throw his boomerang… you'd talk about your life, and I'd do nothing other than smile at you, trying to show you the support you've shown me… but beneath that smile, I'd be heartbroken… because I'd be wishing that you'd chosen me instead…"

Sokka felt his world crumbling down to his feet. Her head was tilted, but he could see clearly that she was crying, unable to hold in so many emotions. He took a step towards her, hoping to hug her and soothe her somehow, but she yelled at him

"Don't you dare come any closer! Stay away from me!" she said, hugging herself in despair.

Sokka obeyed, but he couldn't give up on her just yet. He couldn't let her feelings go to waste

"No, Azula… no" he said "You wouldn't be alone! I'm sure you'll find an amazing guy, someone who'd outdo me on every possible aspect… He'd be so perfect for you, that the jealous one would be me! You deserve much more than you think you do…"

"Well… where is he?" she asked, shaking her head "I don't think there's such a man anywhere… no matter how hard I try to find him…"

"You just have to look for real!" he said

"Why would I even bother to do that… if I've set my sights on someone else?" she asked

Sokka sighed and shook his head, running his hands through his hair while trying to find a useful solution to this catastrophe. This couldn't be happening… not after the amazing day they'd shared before…

"Then you're saying… that with you, it's all or nothing? I can't just be your friend, I have to be yours completely?" he asked

"No…" she muttered "That's not it. It's not… all or nothing. It's nothing. I won't rob you from your happiness… I can't do this again. I did it with Ty Lee once, and I won't do it to you. Just forget about me, forget about all your promises… and leave me alone. It's my destiny to spend the rest of my life on my own"

"That's ridiculous" he stated, angrily "Who can tell you what your destiny is other than yourself?! I know we talked about the red string of fate, and you said that Yue was the one to decide who'd be with whom, but I don't think so! You can choose your own destiny, Azula! Don't you dare give up on your future like this!"

"What choice do I have?" she asked, shaking her head "No matter how I look at it… the only thing there's in store for me is a life of loneliness. You can't ask me to think about it differently… because there's nothing that could change what awaits me. I'm doomed… and I'm not letting you fall in the same way I have. You have a life ahead of you… live it. Forget about me. Let go of everything you said, and accept the truth: whatever there was between you and me… is over now"

Sokka shook his head, unable to do as she said

"I don't think so… I can't accept this!" he said "You're not doomed unless you want to be! This is exactly what you were saying last night, isn't it? You said you kept pushing people away, but you said you'd let me be there for you! I could change your life for the better if you just let me!"

"And I'm not going to let you!" she yelled "Yes, I push everyone away! And I'll push you as well, why shouldn't I? I've hurt you over and over again, and yet you keep returning to me! Maybe it's time for me to throw reality at your face, then! You have a girlfriend! I'm too dangerous to be around! Stay with her, and leave me be! I don't want anything to do with you anymore!"

"That's a lie…" he growled "It's a lie, and you know it!"

"It's not a lie if I believe it for long enough to turn it into the truth" she said darkly

Sokka stared at her with rage, disappointed

"So that's it, then? Everything we went through, every single thing… you're just going to cast it away as if it didn't mean anything to you?"

"It meant more to me than it did to you" she said "And that's why I have to let you go now. You're the one person that managed to bring me back up from my own misery, you made my life far more enjoyable than it ever had been… but I can't live knowing that the man I love will spend the rest of his days with somebody else. I have to fall out of love with you… and I can't do it if you're still around me"

"Then… are you going to banish me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows

"I'm going to stay away from you" she said, turning her back towards him again "I don't care how hard it is… that's all I can do to get over you. It might not even work… but it'll make my life far more bearable than by desiring you from afar. Just… let me be, Sokka. You can't save me… nobody can"

"Nobody will, if you don't even want to be saved in the first place" he said, frowning "Fine. You win this one as well. Throw away everything about us, just do it… it's more than fine by me. You're right, I have somebody else… and it's time I go to her rather than wasting my time with someone that doesn't even want me around. Let's pack up, go back to the Palace and forget all of this ever happened"

She couldn't stop the tears anymore. Knowing he really was willing to forget it was by far the most heartbreaking part of this… but it was for the best. The only way he could have saved her would have been if he had wanted to discard all of what he held dear to stand by her side for real, letting go of all he loved just to love her… but even when she had confessed she was in love with him, he didn't say the same about her. Azula found herself relieved at this, knowing he wouldn't have requited her even if she had confessed under different circumstances… it made her feel far more intent to move on, to forget about her infatuation with him, because now she knew he didn't love her back. It was the first step to regain the person she used to be and forget about all that had happened between them…

Sokka tore down the tents with rage, feeling aggrieved. He had been willing to stand by her side! Maybe she thought things would have been hard, and if she was in love with him, she would have suffered by seeing her in the arms of another woman… but it didn't mean that they couldn't be friends. He wouldn't deny to himself that he was partly craving for more than that, but his feelings for the Princess were far too confusing, too wavering and too insecure for him to act upon them. He loved her at times, but right now, he felt such hatred towards her that now he was truly determined to cast away everything of what had happened between them. If this was the way she wanted it, so be it. She had asked for it, and he wasn't going to chase after her for the rest of his life. She wasn't worth it.

_There will be hardships and obstacles on the way; they will make the lovers stumble and question if they truly are meant for each other. But even if they separate and discard their love, the red string of fate will not break, no matter the circumstances._


	15. 15: The Story of Me and You

Suki couldn't do anything other than sit in front of the Main Gate of the Palace, waiting to hear news concerning her boyfriend. The Cruise had returned late at night, and she had been too tired and upset over the fact that Sokka had lied to her that she didn't even seek him out, assuming he'd come to her as soon as he heard she was back. But he hadn't showed up even after breakfast, something that she found extremely suspicious. She decided to ask Zuko, and he told her what the captain of the guards had informed him of: Sokka and Azula were out on a camping trip and they'd return today.

This statement was all she needed to lose her mind. She ran to the Main Gate and waited, expecting the infamous pair to be back at some point, but it was already midday and they were nowhere to be seen. She felt anxious enough to break down crying, but opposite to what she'd done the day before, now she was trying to convince herself that Sokka was merely trying to get along with the cruel and vicious Princess, since he has always had a kind soul… Maybe some circumstances she wasn't aware of had led him to try and appease her, and she'd responded with the fire blasts that had wounded him. Nonetheless, he didn't give up, and he'd taken her on a trip because he wanted to make her a friend of his, because he was attempting to make her become a better person…

All these assumptions only troubled her even more. What she was picturing could be true, but she could be completely wrong as well. Those two could easily have an affair going on, and she had been ignoring all the hints as if she were nothing other than an innocent child, too lost within her own happy world to realize what was happening for real. She had been too far away from Sokka for far too long, and now she would pay the price for neglecting their relationship…

Suki had buried her face on her hands as she tried to calm herself down. She was losing her mind through this exhausting overanalyzing of the events. She had to keep all this thoughts away from her head, and just bring them up when she saw Sokka again…

"Suki?" she heard somebody call her. She didn't have a hard time to identify it was Lei's voice, a Kyoshi Warrior that served as her second-in-command very often "What's the matter? Why are you out here?"

Suki raised her head towards her friend and faked a smile, trying to be nice to her

"I'm just… just waiting for Sokka to return, if he ever does…"

Lei frowned and sat next to her leader, worried

"I heard he's off with the psycho…" she muttered "I'm sure he'll be back soon, you don't have to worry. Unless you're concerned that she might try to kill him at some point…"

"For all I know, she already has…" said Suki "There's something going on between them, no matter how I try to pretend there isn't, I just know there is…"

"That's impossible" said Lei, surrounding Suki's shoulders with an arm "You're talking about Sokka! He and you are meant to be together forever! How could he ever go to somebody else? It's completely ridiculous! Especially if that somebody is the freak we're talking about! How much of a moron would he have to be to choose her over you?"

"I… I don't really know" said Suki, shrugging "It doesn't make much sense to me either…"

"You might just be worrying too much, you know" said Lei, patting her on the shoulder

"I hope I am…" muttered Suki, sighing.

Suddenly, Lei jumped up, surprising Suki. Her fellow Kyoshi Warrior was staring at the Main Gate with a slight frown on her face as she tried to identify someone that was coming through the door… Suki replicated her behavior, standing up as well, but she walked towards the long walkway, trying to catch a better glimpse of the person who was entering the Palace… but she didn't need to; she was too familiar with his way of walking too mistake him for anyone else: Sokka was finally back.

The tall Water Tribe boy was walking with his head down, still trying to understand the Fire Nation Princess's way of thinking, but he couldn't nail her actions down no matter how hard he tried. If she didn't want him to be involved with her, why did she open up to him in the first place? Why had she bothered talking about so many of her childhood issues, her mental breakdown and all those topics? No matter how much thought he gave it, it didn't make any sense to him whatsoever…

They had walked silently after packing up all their supplies, and they had headed back to the Fire Nation Capital without another word in the entire trip. Azula didn't even complain about the length of the journey this time, she carried all her bags without asking him to help her at all. She stayed behind several times, something that Sokka didn't notice until he decided to turn and make sure she was somewhere behind him. She caught up eventually, and as soon as she got to him, he'd resume walking, not giving her a second of rest and not caring if she needed it either. And this was the reason why he seemed to have arrived alone, because Azula was far behind him, also wondering why she had let her feelings take control of her body and soul rather than using her brain to make her decisions, as she had always done in the past.

Sokka hadn't even looked up yet; too busy fuming to care much about where his feet were taking him at this point, until he heard a very well known voice yell:

"SOKKA!"

Hearing Suki prompted him to lift his head, and he stared in surprise as she ran to him, looking troubled, worried, but relieved to see him in one piece.

As he saw her, he couldn't even muster a smile. He couldn't do anything but stop on his tracks, staring at her. He truly was an idiot, wasn't he? He kept fooling around with Azula, yet he was supposed to be completely committed to the wonderful girl that was running towards him now. She loved him for real, she was reliable and her love for him was strong and true. He could count on her, he knew she wouldn't waste her time changing her mind about whether she loved or hated him, he could spend the rest of his days with her and he knew he'd be happy. So why had he allowed himself to get involved with that darned Princess?

Suki jumped at him and hugged him, crashing against his still-healing wounds in the process, but he hardly cared at all at this point. He deserved the pain.

"I'm so glad you're back!" she said, hugging him tightly.

Sokka surrounded her with his arms as well, feeling her warmth and knowing now that there was no way he could ever give up on this wonderful girl. Why should he? She wasn't unstable, crazy and incoherent like Azula…

Suki pulled away and looked at him in the eyes, noticing something had to be wrong judging by the look on her face.

"Are you okay, Sokka?" she asked, concerned

Sokka forced a gentle smile and caressed Suki's cheek

"Of course I am, Suki. I'm glad to see you again"

His words were what she would have wanted to hear, but she could tell he didn't really mean them. There was no mistaking it, many things had happened during his trip with the Princess... was he going to keep them a secret as well? Was he going to pretend nothing had happened yet again?

"Why did you…? How come did you two end up…?" she began just as the second person that had gone on the long journey crossed the gates of the Palace "Did she do something to you?" Suki asked, frowning in distrust towards the Princess.

Azula replied with a glare of her own, which was more justified than Suki imagined. The mere sight of the happy couple made Azula's heart sink in jealousy, disgust and misery. That girl… was she truly good enough for him? Did she deserve a man like Sokka? Well, at this point it hardly mattered anymore. She had decided to let him stay with girl he was meant to be with, because his red thread of destiny joined him with her, didn't it?

"No, don't worry" said Sokka, shaking his head "She didn't do anything dangerous to me"

"Danger isn't the only thing that concerns me…" muttered Suki and Azula felt obliged to express her opinion as she walked by the two of them

"Your worries are needless, I'm more than happy to be back because it means you'll be the one this peasant will stick with from now on. It's good to know I'll finally get him out of my sight"

Suki frowned even more as Azula passed them by, her head held high, her demeanor strong and powerful as usual, no matter how deranged her appearance was with her hair down and her clothes dirtier than they used to be. Lei also stared at Azula with rage even when she had nothing to do with this particular problem, which annoyed Azula. Yes, she was always the bad guy, wasn't she? The one everyone judged immediately, the one who wouldn't get her way by the end of the story no matter how hard she strived to make her goals a reality. Well, no matter. If she was meant to be the villain, she would play her part gladly. Therefore, Azula decided to prove that she wouldn't be defeated by a lame Kyoshi Warrior, not even in a staring war. She was full of rage and hatred after the last happenings, therefore frightening her opponent wasn't so hard to do when she put her soul into glaring at her thoroughly, which made Lei stumble in surprise.

Azula walked into the Palace and entered the main hall, vanishing from the sight of the three people who had been following her with their eyes. Lei looked at Sokka and Suki and decided to give them some alone time, thus she left on a different direction than the one Azula had taken. As for the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, she turned to face her boyfriend once more.

"It's hard to take her seriously when she looks so…" she muttered, but she got sidetracked as she saw the emotion on Sokka's face.

He was still staring at the hall through which Azula had vanished, as if he were longing for something, as if there was something he was regretting deeply. Suki stared at him in dismay, unable to understand what was going on at all…

"Sokka?" she called him, and he seemed to return to his senses

"Y-yeah?" he said, looking at her, bewildered "Were you saying something?"

"No… nothing, really…" she muttered, lowering her head

"Sorry, I was in a daze..." he said, resuming the walk towards the Palace with Suki by his side.

"It's fine, don't worry about it" she said, forcing a smile as she kept up to his pace "Say… did something happen on your trip? Do you… want to talk about it, maybe?"

Sokka frowned, and then he shook her head, to Suki's disappointment and consternation.

"No, I… I think I need to go to sleep for a while. I'm really tired, I walked a lot… and I could use with some food too, actually"

"In that case, I can ask the kitchen staff if they have something for you" she muttered, smiling kindly at him even when her inner self was about to lose control and yell at him, asking him for an answer "You really shouldn't go in there, they're really upset about what happened with their stove…"

"Oh. That. I'm definitely going to get banished for this" said Sokka, his eyebrow twitching

"Maybe you will" said Suki, smiling sympathetically at him

They reached a junction in a hall of the Palace, from where Sokka could reach his room easily. He stopped and turned towards her, trying to show her a convincing grin.

"I think I'll go sleep for a while, I'm really worn out after that trip. If you want to get me some food, you can leave it on my nightstand or something… is that okay with you?"

"Sure, I'll do that…" muttered Suki, nodding.

Sokka smiled gently at her, but even so, she could tell there was something off about him. He was trying to hide whatever problems he was dealing with, he clearly didn't want to worry her... but he could see in her eyes that she was deeply concerned about him, hoping that whatever troubled him could vanish and let the usual Sokka return to her.

He knew she was truly worried, but he also knew that there was nothing she could do for him now. But, to appease her, he surrounded her with his arms and kissed her gently, trying his best to show her that, even after all of what had happened, he still wanted to be with her.

Suki felt desperate when she felt his touch. It was sweet an tender, but it lacked something... In all previous occasions, he had kissed her with enthusiasm and cheer; this time he seemed to be doing it for no other reason than for obligation, or for the mere hope that she would forget about his lies. His heart wasn't in what he was doing at all, that was more than clear for her… didn't he love her anymore? Were his feelings for her gone, or was he too troubled to put his soul into a kiss in the way he always used to?

But she wasn't going to give up on him, not without a fight. If he wanted motivation, if he needed something to make his feelings return, she'd do everything in her power to help him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately to the best of her ability, showing him how deeply she loved him. At this point it didn't matter if he had lied or betrayed her; she just wanted to be with him. Whatever problems they had, they could get through them together… couldn't they?

Sokka was surprised by the fervent way in which Suki had replied to his kiss, but he couldn't comply with her no matter how hard he tried, because he couldn't push away his thoughts from the Fire Nation Princess even if he was in the middle of kissing his girlfriend. She had intoxicated him as if she were poison; slowly, but gradually, she had taken over him and he couldn't shake away the control she was holding upon him…

He let go of Suki, pulled away from the kiss and forced a smile at her, caressing her hair with kindness

"I… I love you, Sokka…" she muttered, staring at him with hopeful eyes

"I love you too, Suki. I'm so glad to see you again…" he said, hugging her.

But his heart wasn't beating as if it were about to burst from his chest; there was no thrill on his body as he held this girl… there had been a marvelous exhilaration between the two of them before, and she probably still felt that way, but it was different for Sokka now. His heart lay somewhere else, even if he hated to admit it did.

Sokka walked away from Suki, resolving to stay away from her until he could cast away all the confusing feelings that had taken over him after forming a bond with Azula that was only ever meant to be dissolved faster than any other failed friendship or relationship that Sokka had ever been involved in. He had to get over the Fire Nation Princess, and he had to do it fast: he had to return to the person he used to be so that he could love Suki properly and wholeheartedly once again.

But she didn't know anything about these resolutions of his. Suki stood on the hall, watching him walk away while feeling more heartbroken than ever. He was hiding so many things from her… and now she knew that most her fears might have come true. He was involved in a relationship of some sort with the girl who had fought, beaten and sentenced her to jail so long ago, the girl who made fun of him on a daily basis, the girl who was a death threat wherever she went… and he had allowed himself to fall on whatever trap she had set to pull him away from her, to make his life miserable and Suki's as well…

As soon as he was out of sight, the Kyoshi Warrior turned to a wall and punched it with fury, tears streaming down her face. She felt so helpless… what had she ever done to deserve this betrayal? Hadn't she been good enough for Sokka? Hadn't they lived amazing times together? Was their relationship so meaningless to him that he didn't care about jeopardizing it for the sake of the devilish Princess?

And so she was left to do nothing other than cry, desperate, feeling vulnerable and insignificant after having been betrayed by the one man she was sure would never ever hurt her…

…

"Sir, I'm telling you! That stupid Water Tribe Boy is a MENACE! Kick him out of this Palace now, or else I'll quit!" yelled the top chef at Zuko, not even caring if he was dealing with the Fire Lord

Zuko sighed, annoyed. He knew the entire cooking staff hated his friend, but he highly doubted that whatever had happened on that stove was entirely his fault… he'd have to face him and ask directly to him to figure out the truth anyway, but no matter how he tried to convince his top chef to calm down, the man wouldn't budge

"I won't kick him anywhere, he's my friend" said Zuko "And I already said I'd pay for a new stove! Can't you forget about this and move on?"

"That's what you ALWAYS say, but I refuse to do so!" he yelled "If you don't kill the threat from its source, it will never stop striking us!"

"I'll talk to him, and tell him to stay far from the kitchen in future occasions" said Zuko "But he had to make his food somehow, you can't blame him for entering the kitchen this time! There were no cooks around to help him or to make sure he wouldn't make a mess out of anything!"

"Well then, next time you should put a guard on the kitchen!" said the man, making Zuko sigh

"Fine! I'll do that! Now, will you be so kind as to return to cooking? You still have five more stoves, use those for now and I'll get you a new one as soon as possible, okay?"

"Urgh… I warn you, this isn't the last we'll have from that brat!" said the top chef "Next time he'll blow up the whole Palace if you let him! But fine, just let him be! I'm fine with it, I really am!"

The man stormed into the kitchen and slammed the door on Zuko's face, to his annoyance. He may be young, but he was still the Fire Lord! Was it impossible for his servants to give him the respect he deserved? He sighed again, ready to walk to his office to take a look at some of his pending paperwork, but someone called out at him before he could take another step.

"There you are, you imbecile!" he heard someone say behind him. The spiteful tone was extremely familiar, and he knew he had it well deserved. He gulped and turned to face his sister, who was staring at him with the most enraged glare he'd seen in years

"S-so… you're back, Azula" he said, forcing a smile

"As you can see, I am!" she yelled, walking towards him, infuriated "And it's time you pay for what you did, you idiot! How could you do this to me for the third time?! If you don't want me in your damned boat fun, then at least warn me beforehand that you're going to take everyone else away for an entire day!"

"I'm sorry, Azula! I was sure I'd told you!" said Zuko "I really meant to tell you, but so many things happened in such short notice, and I had to deal with so many documents about the United Republic…"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR DAMNED REPUBLIC OF MISFITS!" she yelled, her hands coated in blue fire

"Azula, DON'T!" yelled Zuko "You're in the middle of the Palace! Stay calm!"

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU ASSHOLE!" she yelled, using a far more crude language than she used to as she ran towards him, shooting fire blasts without any restraint.

Zuko wasn't above his sister in what concerned their firebending abilities, but he was far calmer than her this time, which allowed him to manipulate and extinguish the fire she sent his way, each blast far stronger than the previous one. Zuko struggled to keep up with her; she came closer and closer to him. Her fire fists grew fiercer and more powerful, fueled by her rage and disappointment, by her hatred and her disgust for the most recent events, and the first person she could blame for them was Zuko himself: he had been the one to allow that peasant to stay in the Palace and he had forgotten to brief her yet again about the damned Cruise… if he had only let her know about it, then maybe she wouldn't be suffering in the way she was…

She shot more fire his way, but by the time she finally reached him, Zuko dimmed her fire and he stopped her from attacking him again by holding her wrists with a strong grip. Azula grimaced and complained, trying to force her way out of his grasp, but he didn't budge

"Let go of me, damn it!" she screamed

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Azula!" he said, as she still struggled to make him release her "I didn't mean to forget about you! I swear it'll never happen again!"

"You just… You don't understand anything, Zuko!" she insisted, her azure fire fading away "I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

Zuko stared in disbelief and confusion as she cried in despair. What was going on with his younger sister? This definitely had to go beyond his clumsy mistake of leaving her behind in the Palace… there was much more to this, Azula wouldn't cry just because he hadn't taken her on a trip, let alone would she claim to hate him with such passion for such petty a reason… what had he done to her without noticing? What was troubling Azula's heart?

"Azula…" he muttered, as she lost the strength of her legs and fell to the floor on her knees "Azula… what happened?"

He knelt in front of her, still holding her hands. Azula's shoulders were shaking with each sob; she seemed to be so choked up on her sadness that she couldn't even utter another word anymore…

"Azula…" he said, letting go of her hand and caressing her hair "What did I do to you? Whatever it is, I'll do anything to make it up for you… I didn't mean to hurt you so badly! I'm sorry!"

Azula shook her head, too depressed to attack him anymore even when he'd released her hands.

"Y-you can't… t-there's… there's nothing you can do anymore… t-there's nothing… nothing to be done… It's… it's all over now…" she muttered, tears dripping from her eyes as she tried to hold them back to no avail.

Zuko had no idea of what had happened to his sister, but he did all he could do for her in this horrible situation: he surrounded her with his arms and held her with care, in a way he hadn't done ever since they were kids. Azula couldn't even protest or tell his brother to get his hands off her… she couldn't do anything other than hold on to him as she cried, trying to find some solace for her loneliness even if it came from someone she despised.

Zuko hugged her tightly as she cried in his chest, and he couldn't do anything but wonder how could he help out his little sister… It was the first time he could act as a caring and gentle older brother to her, but he didn't enjoy the situation at all. His sister wouldn't crumble down with such ease on normal occasions… what had happened to her? And… was there anything he could do to help her? He didn't know, but for now, he'd hold her in his arms to try and show her the kindness she had been longing for…

_Life is full of surprises, many of them good, many of them discouraging. But even if unfortunate events continue to unfold, the red string of fate will not be broken or severed, despite how hopeless the situation becomes._


	16. 16: Razorblade Limeade-What Remains

The sunlight touched the gardens in the same manner every day, highlighting the colors of the vegetation that surrounded the Royal Palace. The morning glow was so bright it was almost blinding, and it used to encourage the Fire Nation citizens to face the day with strength and enthusiasm… but even when this was the effect it used to have on her as well, Princess Azula couldn't feel any of those emotions today.

She was wearing a white robe after taking an early bath right after getting up, and she was staring intently at the meal that awaited her on the table where she used to have her breakfast every day. Not too long ago she had been too troubled to take a bite from her food, but this time she was so depressed that the mere thought of eating was nauseating.

Azula had spent the previous day crying her heart out, unable to recover from the emotional blows she had been suffering from. Zuko had stayed by her side the entire time, trying to understand what was troubling her so much, but she hadn't found the courage to explain anything to her brother. He did the best he could to soothe her, and she had appreciated all his efforts to aid her, but it had been to no avail; she was beyond saving, as she had told the man who had caused her so much grief and misfortune in the first place. She cried herself to sleep as well, trying to stop the tears somehow, but it was useless. She couldn't get him out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. She would still be crying now, but she seemed to have wasted all her supply of tears for a while.

She couldn't do anything other than regret what she'd done, wondering why she had allowed herself to act upon feelings rather than reasoning. Well, she didn't really have to ask the reason: she had been longing to be cared about, to be loved, by anyone, even if it was just for a little while. But even if Sokka had done it, she had ruined everything… because she had no idea of how to love someone. Nobody had ever taught her what to do if she fell in love with someone who was already involved with somebody else; in fact, nobody ever taught her what to do if she fell in love at all. They all must have thought she was too evil to be capable of loving…

Thoughts like these had been circling her head since the day before, but right now they didn't even hurt her anymore. Maybe she had grown accustomed to the pain, or maybe she had accepted they were true, thus she was no longer affected by them. The only thing she wanted to do now was let go of her attachment to Sokka and move on with her life… it was the best way to give end to the sorrow that enveloped her. The one thing that kept her from doing so was wondering if Sokka would ever forget what had happened… would he forget about their kiss, about their conversations, about their almost-romance…? He was likely to do so, which hurt her beyond compare. Truth to be told, she looked back without regretting most of her actions, but the one thing that broke her heart into a thousand pieces was wondering if maybe he would like to erase the past completely to overlook their strained relationship… even if everything had ended on such horrible terms, she didn't want him to regret, she didn't want him to forget…

"White suits you really well" said somebody, walking towards her quietly

Azula raised her head, surprised to have company. Ty Lee smiled kindly at her, but the sympathetic look on her face showed that she had come to try and help Azula out with the burden of guilt the Princess was carrying on her shoulders.

"You… you really think so?" asked Azula, as her friend sat beside her

"I do" said Ty Lee "And you know I have a really good fashion sense!"

Azula found herself smiling slightly at her comment, used to Ty Lee's happy-go-lucky attitude. Truth to be told, that was what she needed right now: dealing with her friend might be the antidote to her current disease.

"I heard about what happened" said Ty Lee, her cheerful demeanor vanishing "Well… at least I heard some things from sources other than you, which is why I really feel confused. I guess I don't know anything after all…"

"What sources are you talking about?" asked Azula, raising an eyebrow

"Lei, one of the Kyoshi Warriors, and Zuko" said Ty Lee "He asked me to talk to you, because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to help you anymore"

"I guess he really can't do more for me" said Azula, sighing "He did more than I thought he would have… I guess he mustn't hate me that much"

"And you don't hate him either, right?" said Ty Lee

"I'm experiencing mixed feelings towards my brother now" admitted Azula "But I probably won't ever stop thinking of him with disdain and dislike, whether you like it or not"

"Oh, well, I'd expected that much already" said Ty Lee, smiling "But the real question is… what happened to you? Why were you so sad?"

"'Were'?" repeated Azula "I think you should say 'are' instead. I'm still brooding over what happened, and I don't even know if I'll ever stop feeling so depressed about it…"

"Alright, then… but still, what happened? Can you tell me?" asked Ty Lee

"Maybe I can" muttered Azula "But I really don't want to talk about this…"

"It might help you" said Ty Lee, reaching out to take one of Azula's hands in one of her own "What's the matter, Azula? What happened while we were gone?"

The Princess seemed insecure, unwilling to relive the events of the past month yet again. But she knew Ty Lee wished to help her somehow, and since she felt unable to cry right now, maybe she could try to explain the situation to her friend…

"Do you… do you remember what happened between me and that peasant?" she began, refusing to meet Ty Lee's eyes

"Yeah, I remember…" said Ty Lee "I thought you two had decided to move past it and forget about the whole thing, hadn't you?"

"Forgetting about it wasn't easy" said Azula "I spent two weeks avoiding him just to try and push those events away from my mind, but it didn't work out so well. On a certain day, when you and your warrior colleagues went to Ember Island, we ended up spending the whole afternoon together for no particular reason, which wasn't much fun at first… but eventually it turned out to be far more interesting than I thought it could ever be. Then, two days ago, all of you left on your Cruise and the two of us were left behind, struggling to make it through somehow by attempting to cook, but it went badly. Eventually he decided to drag me to a camping trip far from the Fire Nation, because I happened to mention I hadn't gone camping in my entire life. We were getting along really well… in fact, I don't remember the last time I bonded like this with anyone. We spent a great deal of the night talking about ourselves, something I'd never done before, as you should know. I always avoid talking about myself, trying to push everyone away so that they won't know what I've been through… but this time, it was different. I wanted him to know about me, I wanted to let him in… and I did"

"Wow…" said Ty Lee "But… did he react badly to all of that?"

"On the contrary, he… he was supportive and kind. He said he would be there for me, always… But he didn't understand what those words meant for me, coming from him…"

"What did it mean, then?" asked Ty Lee

"It meant he would devote himself to me wholeheartedly" said Azula, clenching her fists "And that he would do it out of his own free will, I didn't have to press him to do so. I don't control him, he does whatever he wants to, but even so, he said he wanted to stand by me… How could anyone blame me for falling in love with him in such a situation?"

Ty Lee stared at her in dismay, as Azula found herself unable to hold back the tears yet again.

"B-but he can't become mine… not in the way I want him to… B-because he loves someone else… And I can't force him to stay with me, I can't resort to manipulating him, or else it'll be meaningless…"

"Azula…" said Ty Lee, surrounding her friends shoulders with an arm

"H-he thought we could just be friends…" she said, between sobs "But it doesn't work like that for me… I can't stand by watching him with someone else while faking smiles, pretending I'm happy for him… when deep down, I'd be longing for him with all my heart, wondering if things could have been different if I'd only taken the plunge and told him about the way I felt…"

"But then… what did you do?" asked Ty Lee, hugging her

"I… I just told him to leave all about us behind…" she said "I pushed him away… I decided to let him stay with his girl, but I also decided not to put up with watching the two of them together… I told him to forget his promises to me… Because he wouldn't be able to fulfill them in the way I wanted him to…"

Ty Lee sighed and held her friend in her arms, thoughtful. She would have never imagined the day would come where her oldest friend, the grand Princess Azula, would fall in love with someone, let alone with the Water Tribe Peasant Sokka. And the worst part, at least, for her, was to think that the boy Ty Lee liked was involved with Suki and had stolen Azula's heart as well… She hid it most of the time, but the crush she had on him made her wish, at times, that maybe Suki would leave him for another man and he'd come to her for comfort. All those childish daydreams were gone now, not because she had stopped liking him, but because she knew now that she didn't stand a chance at all. If not even Azula was able to sway his heart, she was bound to fail at it as well

"I… I hate this…" said Azula, clinging onto Ty Lee "I don't want to cry anymore… but I can't stop myself… why did I have to fall in love with him? Why is it so painful? I… I don't want to feel anything anymore…"

"It's okay, Azula" said Ty Lee, caressing her hair "If you have to cry, then just cry… I know how it feels not to be loved back by someone. I never thought you'd suffer from this; you're so amazing that I thought no man would be stupid enough to reject you. I really like Sokka, but I really mean this when I say it: he's an idiot for breaking your heart like this"

Azula didn't have an answer for her words, all she could do for now was cry on her best friend's shoulder, trying to find comfort, trying to leave behind the last happenings on her life, hoping to move on eventually, getting through this dark tunnel and finally arriving at a better place one day…

…

Sokka woke up the next morning feeling mildly disgusted with himself. Even when he was barely recovering his conscience, the first thought on his mind was Azula. He couldn't believe he was that much of a treacherous idiot to be unable to take his mind off the Princess; he was supposed to think about Suki, not about Azula. His girlfriend loved him deeply, and he loved her too, but Azula's vexing intrusion into his life developed a turmoil of mixed feelings within his soul...

Due to the spat he had with the kitchen staff, he resolved to go out to the Capital to get his breakfast. He didn't inform anyone of his early leave other than the guard who questioned him about his bearings when he was crossing the gates of the Palace. He walked down the streets, searching for a place to eat, knowing that he would have to spend hours outside as he tried to figure out a solution to his predicament: he wouldn't dare stay inside the Palace if that risked running into Azula. He didn't know what he'd do if he saw her again, and he had to find a way to answer his dilemma, a way to figure out his feelings for the Princess and to make sure that, whether he felt love or hate, he'd be able to cast away those emotions and avoid acting upon them, to spare himself, Azula and Suki from more pain and troubles like the ones he had brought upon them with his thoughtless actions.

After eating, he still roamed the streets; noblemen stared at him in distaste at seeing such inelegant teenager walking down their perfect roads while looking troubled and distraught. Sokka sighed and sat down on a bench of the city, deciding to analyze things differently now. Maybe he had been at fault for a few things of what had happened, he couldn't claim it was all on Azula before trying to see everything clearly. She had accused him of being unable to realize small details, and that was the reason why he lost his Pai Sho match with her. He might be ignoring something as well this time…

But the more thought he put into it, the worst he felt about himself. It was true; she had shoved him away and claimed she couldn't live while watching him achieve happiness with another woman, but then again, this was what she always did whenever somebody managed to see the real Azula. What was she afraid of? Did she think he wouldn't reciprocate her feelings? No, the problem wasn't that he might have felt differently towards her… but the fact that he was already involved with somebody else. He clenched his fists, wondering if there was no way to solve this without someone ending up heartbroken…

He wasted the entire day trying to figure out a solution, but he didn't find any. He didn't want to forget about Azula, but he couldn't just leave Suki for her… He picked up some lunch and ended up heading outside, leaving the Capital to watch the sunset from the edge of the crater, right beneath the shade of a tall tree. He leaned against the trunk, recalling that wonderful sunset he had witnessed from the Royal Palace's highest room thanks to Azula… things had seemed so great between them, hadn't they? And then it all had gone to waste… because she had fallen in love with him. How had he been supposed to know she'd feel even the slightest hint of attraction towards him? He was just a stupid peasant of such inferior birth that he shouldn't even be allowed to look her in the eye… He was bound to be interested in the beautiful princess, but being just a boy, he was meant to admire her from afar, never to approach her… Why did he break those unspoken rules? What pushed him into discovering more about Azula? Why did she become so important to him in such small period of time? Why was losing her such a heart-shattering situation…?

"I thought I might find you out here" said somebody behind him, prompting him to turn around.

Suki walked to him, staring at him with consternation. Sokka met her eyes, surprised to see her.

"How did you know I'd be here?" he asked

"A guard told me you had left the palace. I know you have a soft spot for sunsets… so I figured you'd have gone somewhere to catch the best view of it"

"You know me too well" he said, forcing a smile

"I might have known you really well before… but lately, we're pretty much strangers" said Suki, walking towards him "I don't really want to say this, but… we need to talk"

Sokka sighed and nodded. No matter what the outcome of this conversation would be, it was finally time to tell Suki the truth.

They sat down next to each other, their gazes on the horizon. Suki glanced at Sokka every now and then, wondering if he was readying himself to explain the situation to her, and she was right. Where should he begin? What could he say? What should he say? Eventually he sighed again and shook his head.

"You've known something's wrong for a while now, haven't you?" he asked, not meeting her eyes

"Yes" she said "But I wasn't too observant at first. Eventually the signs were screaming at me to pay attention to them, and I couldn't act ignorant of the facts anymore. You really were hiding something… and it involves her, doesn't it?"

Sokka nodded, hating himself for having to tell this story to Suki. He didn't want to hurt her, he would hate to be the person to cause her misery, but it was too late to repent for it now. He had to face it: he had made a blunder in his relationship with her, and he'd accept without complaint whatever choice she decided to make upon the matter.

"It all started when I came to stay at the Palace" he said "I ran into her almost on a daily basis, and she'd always treat me as a lousy peasant. I meant, that was the way she had always seen me, wasn't it? I was just a dumb moron from the Water Tribe, too low for her to bother doing anything but mock and ridicule me. I hated to see her diminish me with her words, which was the reason why I decided to show her that I was far better than she thought I was, so I went to prove I was related to the Royalty of the Northern Water Tribe. I found a scroll with information that could have been a clue to my heritage, and I went to find her, with the sole purpose of showing her the information I had acquired. I searched for her, but I didn't find her until I thought about going to the Temple Coronation and Plaza… and there she was, but she wasn't the same Azula I was used to seeing. She didn't notice my presence, and I didn't try to announce it either, because I was curious to discover why she was there… Suddenly, she began firebending, and I found myself amazed by her skills. Yeah, me, amazed by someone's bending… I thought about it later, and it sounds really ridiculous… Anyway, after she was done practicing or whatever she was doing, she fell on her knees and cried. All I could do was wonder what reasons were there to justify her tears? Why should she cry? What could possibly make her feel so miserable? I didn't know back then, I guess…"

"You… discovered it later?" asked Suki, raising an eyebrow

"Yeah, I guess I did…" muttered Sokka "Ever since I saw her training, I kept thinking about her reasons to cry and all of that… I had been with Zuko a few days later, in his office, trying to kill time, but he was working so I decided to go sneak some food from the kitchen…"

"Huh. No wonder they hate you" interrupted Suki "Do you really try to nick food from them whenever you have nothing better to do?"

"I guess it's the most fun activity I can do in the Palace…" said Sokka, smiling slightly "And I wanted to do it that day, but something stopped me, and I guess you could say that really was the beginning of the disaster. I wanted to tell you about it for so long, but… I just didn't find the courage to do it"

"What… what happened, Sokka?" asked Suki, bracing herself

"I saw her in tears again, hidden inside a room" he muttered "She didn't lock it properly, so I caught a glimpse of her as she cried. I wanted to go inside and help her somehow, but I ended up deciding not to; she would have killed me if she had known I had been watching her without her noticing. But I moved the door as I walked away, and she noticed I was standing there. She began attacking me, blasting fire at me as she yelled at me to leave, but something inside me refused to do obey her. I knew that if I left I wouldn't help her at all, and I truly wanted to make her misery go away, even if I had no idea of what it was that bothered her so much… So instead of running away from her, I ran towards her"

"You… you did what?" asked Suki, in shock

"I lunged at her" admitted Sokka "I did the best I could to avoid her fire blasts, but it wasn't easy and by the end of my sprint towards her, she had burned me a few times. I don't really know what sort of crazy hormone overcame me when I hugged her… even now I try to figure it out and I can't understand it. I just… thought she needed somebody to stand by her, even if it only was for a little while. Of course, she didn't think the same way… and that's the real story behind my burns"

"I knew Zuko wasn't the culprit for that" said Suki, lowering her head "Even before asking him on the Cruise, I was sure you were lying. You claimed it was an accident, but I could see there was a pattern to your wounds, it looked as if you had been struck more than once…"

"Well, you're far more perceptive than I thought you'd be" he admitted

"It's my job to be" said Suki, shrugging

"So… you asked Zuko about it on the Cruise?" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow

"Yeah… and I guess you figured it out already, didn't you?" said Suki, sighing "I didn't try to wake you up. Well, I did try once, but you wouldn't budge. After thinking about it for a moment, I realized that the only way to figure out if you had been lying to me or not was asking Zuko, and I had a far better chance to do that while you weren't around…"

"So you deliberately left me behind" said Sokka, smiling "I thought so. I mean, if you'd wanted me to get up, you could have found that pestering servant that tries to break down my door every single morning to make me go have breakfast at the precise time…"

"I guess I could have" said Suki "I'm sorry I left you behind like that…"

"You had every right to distrust me" muttered the Water Tribe boy "The one who should feel sorry is me"

"I guess so" said Suki "Alright then… you hugged her, and she burned you. What happened then?"

"She suddenly stopped attacking, something I didn't really understand" said Sokka "Before I knew it, she had collapsed on the floor, crying again. I held her, and she wept on my chest for a while. I really don't want to say it, but… it was the most heartbreaking crying I'd ever seen. I just wanted to soothe her somehow, to stop her tears… Eventually, she stopped, and I was just there, holding her. I caressed her hair for no particular reason, and she looked up at me. There was… there was something about her right then and there… I just can't nail it down… and before I knew it, I was kissing her"

Suki's eyes were drenched in tears as her fears began to come true. She tried not to think, just to listen to Sokka's explanation, but her entire world was falling apart just to hear his words.

"She told me to leave later" he said "And I did without complaint. I went to get medical aid, and I got it quickly. I was completely messed up by what had happened… but I thought I'd get to talk to her about it eventually, to figure out our problems and to make sure our relationship would stay in the way it had been… but you showed up on the next day"

"O-on the very next day?" she asked, in dismay

"Yeah… I had no idea you were coming" said Sokka "And you were so happy to see me that I couldn't ruin your cheer by telling you about this. And the more I postponed it, the harder it was to breach the subject. I managed to talk to her, and we agreed not to mention those events to anyone, that I'd tell you some day… but I didn't have the guts to say anything to you. Anyway, things just seemed to be about to fade away, until the day I played Pai Sho with her"

"Y-you said you'd spent that whole day with her, didn't you?" said Suki, trying to hold in her feelings, doing the best she could to hear his story to the end.

"Yeah, I did. To be honest, I just wanted to hang with someone else because Zuko and Iroh were bound to waste the day away by brewing tea, and I'm not that big a fan of tea to spend an entire day playing with water and leaves… So I stuck to her after we were done playing. She wasn't happy about it at first, and she kept insulting and irritating me, but I'm proud to say I annoyed her back, so we were pretty much even. After having lunch, I asked her if I could watch the sunset from anywhere good, and she took me to the tallest tower of the Palace. It was an awful journey, but it was definitely worth it. After that, I ended up teaching her the basics for sword-fighting, because we really were that bored. She learned them in a heartbeat, because that's the way she is, and we spent a while fighting each other. It was a lot of fun, honestly… and then you girls arrived, and I left her there. I don't really know, but she seemed have had a lot of fun that day. Then, two days later, you guys went on your Cruise and we were both left behind. We had to survive somehow, so we tried cooking… at some point I think I said something that angered her, and I had just asked her to help me cook some noodles. She was so mad that she ended up melting down the frying pan where the noodles were, and that's the story behind the stove's demise. We both sucked at cooking, to be honest. After eating we just sat there, talking, and suddenly I brought up the subject of camping trips, and she told me she hadn't been on one, at least, not on a real one. That's when I forced it upon her, and she had no choice but to follow me. We got some provisions and camping material, and I dragged her to the south until we reached a forest. I guess I did everything I could to be nice to her, because she wasn't too happy about such a long trip… but things went a little far"

"W-what happened now?" asked Suki, horrified

"Well, it's not something bad in itself" said Sokka "I really don't think I did anything wrong… but we pretty much made a deal to be honest with each other. At first she just wanted to know why I'd kissed her, and I wanted to know why she had cried… we ended up talking about so many things by the end of it… It was obvious that she'd never mentioned her troubles to anyone, that she was always hiding her torment, trying to keep it within herself to avoid being ridiculed. She had a façade to put on, and she's always done it really well… but for once, she decided to tell me about her sorrow, and I think she felt much better after doing it. But the next morning… that's when everything went to waste"

"Why? What did she do?" asked Suki

"The night before, I'd… I'd promised her that even when she felt the loneliest, when she was sad and heartbroken, I'd stand by her side. I swore to her that I'd be with her forever, doing my best not to let her down, to hear her out whenever she felt depressed or angry… I asked her if she'd let me do this, if she was willing to let me stay with her, and she said she was. But the next day, she claimed that everything about my promise was impossible, that I couldn't keep it, no matter how hard I tried to do it; that our conversation, our bonding, had been a mistake…"

Suki frowned, knowing now that this was the reason behind his current anxiety.

"She… she always pushes everyone away!" said Sokka "And even when she said she wouldn't do the same with me, she did! I just wanted to be there for her… but she said she couldn't accept that, because…"

"Because…?" repeated Suki

"Because she… she had fallen in love with me" he said, gritting his teeth "And she didn't want to be just my friend, she said that wouldn't be enough for her. And that she wasn't going to spend the rest of her life watching you and me being happy together as she faked a smile from afar, wondering why she couldn't be in your place…"

Suki hugged herself, feeling demolished. She saw Sokka, and she could see things far more clearly than he did. The pain she was feeling was horrifying… all she could feel relieved about was discovering the story behind Sokka's relationship with the Fire Nation Princess, because she wouldn't have been able to stand being in the dark on these matters.

"I just don't get it" said Sokka, shaking his head "I know it would be painful, I can imagine it would have been hard on her to live like that, but she would have had a friend, at least! Isn't that better than being as lonely as she is right now?"

"It doesn't work like that" said Suki, sighing "A woman's heart is far more complicated than it seems. She must have thought she was saving herself from years of pain and torment… and she probably was"

"She's been through so much…" said Sokka "I didn't even know it back when I first started to feel interested about her, but the more I knew about her, the more I wanted to protect her, to stand by her, to save her… but she kept refusing my help. I offered her everything I could give her, and yet she wouldn't take it… I wish I could just give up on her already, but I can't stop thinking about her, about all of this…"

"I guess you can't…" said Suki, lowering her gaze.

Sokka turned to her, worried. He had finally told her the truth, and she seemed to be reacting far better than he thought she would…

"So…? What do you think about this?" he asked

"What do I think?" repeated Suki "I… I really don't know what am I supposed to say, Sokka… it's not easy to take that your boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else…"

"F-fallen in…?" he said in disbelief, and she looked at him with sad but sincere eyes.

"Sokka, stop lying to yourself already. Everything you've told me has made it very clear… you have feelings for her, you've had them for a long time now"

"But… I just…" he said, burying his face in his hands "I don't know if what I feel is love or hate, I can't tell them apart anymore… I'm so disappointed in her… why couldn't she sacrifice herself and stay my friend? Maybe she would have found a better man than me eventually, and she could have been happy…"

"You just want her to be happy, don't you?" asked Suki, sighing

"I guess I do… but she refuses to accept any joy in her life" said Sokka "It's as if she thought she didn't deserve any form of cheer, a tiny bit of enjoyment… as if she felt she had to spend the rest of her life repenting and making up for all the wrong she did before…"

"But she doesn't have to" said Suki

"I don't think so" said Sokka "None of that was really her fault, how was she supposed to know that she was doing something wrong? She was raised by a father, who only wanted power and glory, and he made her believe that was all that mattered in life; her mother neglected her education, apparently, and she only ever told her off, she never showed her any care at all. She had nobody to show her the way… and nobody has bothered to try and figure out what lies underneath the surface ever before, because she always casts people away with her cruel words…"

"You bothered" said Suki "And yet she shut you off as well"

"I know" said Sokka "And I'd be fine with it if I knew she'll be okay… but I don't think she will be. She's miserable, she's suffering, and she only hides it, trying to appear strong even when she's falling apart"

"And you can't stand that, can you?" said Suki, sighing "You'd do anything in your power to make sure she'll be happy…"

"I don't think there's anything I can do for her anymore" he said, lowering his head "No matter how I've struggled to help her, she won't let me…"

"You can't help her like this" muttered Suki "There's only one way in which you can save her… one way for you to show you'll truly be there for her forever. One way for you to… give her the happiness you want her to attain…"

Sokka turned and saw there were tears streaming down the Kyoshi Warrior's face, and he shook his head repeatedly, unable to face what she was saying

"No, no… Suki, no!" he said, grabbing her shoulders "I can't leave you! I… just… no!"

Suki found herself sobbing uncontrollably, to Sokka's dismay, and she shook her head as well

"I… I don't want to do this either, Sokka… b-but how could I live knowing… that you'd always be thinking about her? That you'll never stop regretting that you couldn't save her…? You'll spend the rest of your life in misery, wondering if she'll ever be happy…"

"B-but that's her problem!" said Sokka "I can't do this, Suki! I can't let you go!"

"I'm… really happy to hear that" she said, trying to wipe her eyes "But you can't have both of us… and you know it"

"B-but I can't live without you, Suki…" he muttered, also crying now.

"Y-you'll have to find a way to do it…" she said, closing her eyes as she tried to hold back the tears "Because… because I won't be able to make you happy if you'll never be able to forget her… she tried to shun you away because she thought you'd be happier with me, but she was wrong… I always thought you and I… you and I were meant to be, but… but now, I'm starting to think otherwise…"

"N-no, Suki… no…" Sokka repeated "This… this can't be it… I can't lose you like this!"

"We… we would have been amazing together" she said, smiling "We could have had a wonderful family too… we could have had it all, I guess… but you can have it with her too, and you know it. You're the only one who can save her now, Sokka… and even when I love you so much, she needs you more than I do. I'm so sorry… If things had just been different… if everything had turned out the way I wanted it to… b-but it's too late now, Sokka… I'm sorry…"

"T-the one who's sorry is me, Suki…" said Sokka, gritting his teeth and hugging her closely, feeling her warmth for what could easily be the last time "Y-you're right… there were so many things that could have been… You and I… we were perfect for each other… we still are…"

"I know…" she said, holding onto his clothes tightly, hoping that she'd never have to let go. She didn't want to let him go, not now, not ever… "But she truly needs you, and you need her too. You're the one she's meant to be with… and even when I'd love to be selfish and keep you forever, you know you'll never stop wondering what could have been between you and her. You have to go to her… just…. Just do it. Please, go to her side… and don't ever let her go. Make sure you make her happy, okay? Do everything you can… t-to show her the kindness no one has given her in her life… make her a better person… I know you can do it…"

Sokka nodded, hugging her even closer

"I… I promise you I will… I swear I won't let her go…"

"Then… I'm sure you'll both… be really happy…"

They held each other as they cried; regretting the end of what could have been one of the greatest relationships the world had ever seen. They had been meant to be, hadn't they? But destiny could change… maybe the red thread of fate had changed its direction, and it had decided to separate them even when they loved each other as much as they did.

And so, in the light of the saddest sunset either teenager had ever lived, their magnificent relationship was over. They would love each other forever, that was a given… but even wonderful things must come to an end some day. Surely they'd feel pain and sadness whenever thinking about each other, but, with luck, they'd grow out of their misery eventually and discover they could be happy once more…

_Fate can be a misleading concept. Often we make choices that will alter our destinies without realizing it; every small decision can modify our lives even when we hardly realize it. Thus, a simple choice can dye red the string that joins two people, and it can also discolor the thread joining other two. Nevertheless, in both cases they have been joined by a powerful bond of unwavering love, which time might strengthen or weaken, but it won't ever vanish: they will be joined together until the end of time._


	17. 17: Circus

As dusk fell, the two teenagers held each other close, trying to find comfort in the other's embrace, but the pain only seemed to increase even when they didn't want it to. Eventually, Suki pushed Sokka away, against her will.

"You should go now..." she said, wiping her tears

"You want me to leave...?" muttered Sokka, feeling apprehensive.

"If we keep up like this, we'll never be able to let go of each other" said Suki, shaking her head "You have to go to her... before I change my mind and decide to keep you even if you don't want to stay..."

"I'd love to stay..." he said

"But even if you think it's the right thing to do now, you'll regret it eventually" she replied "And she needs you, Sokka... But I hope she kicks your ass if you ever do to her what you did to me"

Sokka chuckled and Suki smiled a little

"She's far crueler than I am" said Suki "So you'll probably spend the rest of your life paying your dues to me by being with her..."

"I'm sure I will" said Sokka

"You asked for it" muttered Suki, smiling "It's what you deserve for what you've done"

"Don't worry, I know this isn't going to be easy for either one of us... but you can relax, I'll be bound to spend the rest of my life under her control"

Suki smiled and they linked foreheads together. She knew he had to go, but she wanted to enjoy every second of their last moment together...

"Could you do one last thing for me before you go?" she muttered, taking his hands on hers

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

Suki leaned towards him and kissed him for the last time, but to her relief, his response was far more sincere than it had been the day before. She felt cared for, she felt loved... she knew he truly appreciated her, that he would never forget about their wonderful relationship... And she pushed him away to avoid breaking down yet again, trying to stop her tears even if it was just for a little while.

"Go..." she muttered, smiling encouragingly "Go already..."

Sokka kissed her on the forehead and hugged her again

"I love you, Suki"

She only nodded as he stood up, finally letting go of her.

"Go to her, Sokka" she said "Go before I change my mind..."

Sokka forced a smile, but he obeyed her nonetheless

"Goodbye, Suki…" he muttered, turning around, unable to face her anymore.

"Goodbye, Sokka..." said the Kyoshi Warrior, knowing she would regret having made this decision for the rest of her life. Still, she was the one who had made this choice, and even if it would be hard to overcome this change, she knew that she would make it through somehow, no matter how many years it would take for her to accept the heartbreaking conclusion to their relationship.

Sokka walked back to the Palace while thinking of what he had done. He and Suki were through... the most amazing combination, the perfect couple, was over. Would she ever get over him? Would she find another man far better than him? He sure hoped so... Suki deserved someone amazing, someone who would only love her, only think of her, only dream of her... And he had been that man, but he had changed. He was different now, because...

Because he loved Azula.

It was the first time he could accept his feelings for the girl wholeheartedly. After kissing her he had thought he'd fallen in love with her, and maybe he had... but the confusing and perplexing situation led him to believe his feelings were fleeting, that they'd fade with time, but he'd been wrong: time had only brought them closer together, and even when their relationship had imploded and collapsed, his feelings for her were stronger than ever before.

He found his determination then. Even if the universe would condemn their union, even if his friends would believe him crazy, even if he had broken the heart of the girl he loved, he couldn't let go of the promises he'd made to Azula. It wasn't because he felt obliged to keep them: he truly wanted to make them a reality. And even if she refused and rejected him, he wouldn't budge this time, he wouldn't let her go again; she had pushed away everyone that had approached her, and he wouldn't let her get away with it anymore. Even if she said the worst things she could say, even if she tried to cast him away, he wouldn't budge anymore. Maybe they hadn't been meant to be together forever from the first time they had met, maybe their destinies hadn't been linked together... but now they were, and he wouldn't let their bond go to waste, even if Azula thought that was the rightful solution to this mess...

Fueled by these thoughts, he broke into a sprint, running down the streets at the fastest speed his feet could carry him. The people in town stared at him without understanding why he ran without any measure, as if chased by a demon. Sokka wasn't used to running in such reckless manner, he almost crashed against an old lady and he had to jump to one side to avoid a man with a cabbage cart, who stared at him with aversion as he ran off. But Sokka couldn't care less about the way people saw him, he'd resolved to pay no heed to this anymore. He had to find her, he needed to see her again, to hold her in his arms and show her his vows had been real: he truly would go to the ends of the Earth if it were for her sake. He'd give up everything he was to become the one who could bring her happiness… and he was certain he could make her world far brighter. She had laughed, she had smiled, she had enjoyed their times together, and even if she claimed the opposite, he had seen her with his very eyes, and he knew the truth first-hand. Even if he wasn't the best man who could be with her, he'd do everything in his power to bring joy to her life…

He burst in the Palace, ignoring the puzzled looks on the faces of the guards who flanked the threshold. He was certain that he'd be haunted by the ghosts of the royals that considered him a disrespectful brat for racing around their sacred halls, but he couldn't care less about the opinions of Azula's ancestors. He searched through the entire building, trying to spot her somewhere, but he couldn't find her anywhere yet again. Why did she always vanish when he had something important to tell her?

He assumed Azula would kill him later on if he looked for her in her chambers, but he couldn't help taking a look. As expected, it was empty. He also peeked at the room where he'd seen her crying, but she wasn't inside either. Where else could she be?

"Sokka…?" asked someone, staring at him with distrust from an outer hall of the Palace.

The Water Tribe boy expected Ty Lee to think of him as a complete idiot; surely Azula had told her about their latest endeavor, and knowing he'd been such jerk to her two best friends surely would make her despise him… but nonetheless, his eyes lit when he saw the girl, and he ran towards her, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"T-Ty Lee…" he said, leaning on his knees "W-where is she…?"

"Where is…? Who, exactly, are you looking for?" asked Ty Lee, suspicious "I don't know where Suki is, if that's what you…"

"Azula…" said Sokka, between quick breaths "Where is… Azula?"

"What? Why do you care anyway?!" asked Ty Lee "Leave her alone already! Haven't you hurt her enough? You have Suki, so just…!"

"I don't have her anymore!" exclaimed Sokka "Suki… Suki and I… we're over…"

Ty Lee's eyes widened with shock. Her defensive demeanor faded away as soon as she heard those words, wondering if Sokka had finally found the right way to salvage this situation, or if there was something else behind his behavior…

"How…? Why?" she asked

"I told Suki… about everything" said Sokka, wiping the sweat off his brow "She thought… that even if we tried to work this out… I'd spend the rest of my life thinking about Azula, and… and I know she's right… I can't get her out of my head, and truth to be told, I don't even want to…"

"B-but that means…" said Ty Lee "That you left Suki to come after Azula?"

"Yes…" muttered Sokka "Suki told me… told me to go to her already before she changed her mind… that Azula needed me… and I need her too…"

"Then…" muttered Ty Lee "Then… you gave up on your relationship for Azula's sake?"

"I did" he said, proudly "I said I'd do anything in my power to stay by her side… I promised her I wouldn't leave her, and at the first hurdle, I bailed on her! I let her shove me away, but I won't let that happen anymore… she's been through enough to add my mistakes to her misery, I have to set things right with her…"

"But you're aware of what's at stake, aren't you?" said Ty Lee "Azula… Azula is nothing like Suki, you know? It won't be easy, being involved with her…"

"I don't care how hard it is" said Sokka, determined "I'll get through it somehow, because… because I love her"

Those words crumbled down Ty Lee's wall of distrust. She thought she wouldn't forgive Sokka for fooling around with Azula, and after he told her his relationship with Suki was over, she felt spiteful, knowing that this break-up must have demolished the leader of her group… but her rage against Sokka vanished as soon as she heard him admit he had such feelings for Azula; she knew her friend needed someone to love her, and she had seen how wonderful a boyfriend Sokka was… Could he be the one to save Azula? Could he be the right man for her? She smiled at the thought, and realized that she couldn't have expected less from Sokka. He was an amazing guy, she had always thought so, but now he was proving it over and over again… he had sacrificed his safe relationship with Suki to jump headfirst into a romance as unstable as walking on a loosening tightrope…

"You… you really love her?" she asked "You won't hurt her? You'll do everything in your power to make her happy?"

"I'd die for her if I had to!" exclaimed Sokka "I'll do everything I can to become a man worthy of her, and I'll fight to the utmost to make sure she can smile for real from now on…"

"If you really think so, you're already far worthier of her than you think you are" said Ty Lee, smiling "Make sure to give her a better life than the one she's been leading, okay? She deserves it…"

"I will" he said firmly "Do you know where she is, Ty Lee? I need to find her, I have to find her!"

"I think she's at the Coronation Temple and Plaza" muttered Ty Lee "I'm not sure, but that's probably where she is..."

"It makes sense" said Sokka, nodding "Thanks, Ty Lee. I guess you're the person who'll think the worst of me after all I've done, but…"

"You can make up for it if you run to her now" said Ty Lee, smiling "I'll forget about the tears you made her spill if you make sure she never feels so lonely and sad again, okay?"

"Alright" he said "I promise you it won't ever happen again"

"Good to know" said Ty Lee, smiling "Well? What are you waiting for? Go get her already!"

Sokka smiled and ran backwards as he yelled at her

"Thank you! I won't let you down!"

Ty Lee smiled and sighed as he turned around and raced to the location she had pointed him towards. She had liked this boy for a long time now, and she thought she'd never stop hoping to obtain his heart somehow, but now she was ready to accept she wouldn't have him. In fact, she was surprised to feel happy to let him go; she knew he could help Azula, and if she was the one who'd get him by the end of the story, she didn't care about having to forget about her long-standing crush on him. All she could do was hope the Princess would take him back and realize what he'd sacrificed to become the one person who could make her happy…

…

She stood on the very same walkway she tended to head to when she thought she could vent her frustrations and anger through her firebending. She stared at the grounds, trying to transform her sadness into hatred to fuel her powers, because this was what she'd rely upon to perform her finest forms of bending. But there was nothing to instigate her to bend; nothing to motivate her into expelling her wonderful blue fire… her mind was so troubled that she feared this solution would be the least effective one. Her feelings were in complete disarray, she might end up burning down the entire Capital if she tried to bend, or she might find herself unable to produce even the smallest ember…

The more she replayed the story in her head, the more she regretted having let him go. Maybe he had been right, maybe she could have swallowed her feelings and stayed as his friend rather than asking for more… she was truly selfish, wasn't she? It was probably the real reason why she didn't have any friends other than Ty Lee… because she was so involved in herself that she never thought about what others wished for, which was why everyone was better off without her, especially Sokka. If he wanted to attain happiness, he had a far better chance to do it with his Kyoshi Warrior… Azula was a catastrophe waiting to happen, a time-bomb set to explode and make the world blow up with her as she went. How could she force him to be with her? He deserved so much more…

Tears streamed down her face again, but she shook her head and wiped them quickly. She couldn't keep up this embarrassing act, it was getting ridiculous. The great Princess Azula wasn't the type to be troubled by peasants, let alone to be infatuated with them… but maybe she wasn't the great royal she used to be. Right now… she felt like all her titles, all her talents and all her strengths had faded away, leaving only the core, only the real Azula… It was funny to think that Sokka's theory might be right; maybe she was comprised of layers after all…

Azula raised a hand in front of her, searching for the courage within herself to make some fire, even if it would be a small one, to make sure her depression hadn't deteriorated her skills as a bender. It was all she had right now, the only comfort she could find… and thus, after taking a deep breath; blue blazes began dancing on her hand. She smiled sadly, wondering if she was as cold and cruel as her fire… most fire was red, it gave out an actual feeling of warmth and life… hers was blue, and even if it was fire, it was more similar to ice. It was ruthless, malicious, and it had only ever caused misery and pain to everyone around her… she allowed the flame to fade away, and a few more tears scrolled down her face as she wondered if she was truly as terrible as she thought she was… was she that far beyond saving? Was there any point in living in a world like this one if it would only bring her grief and despair? Would anyone care at all if she were to leave, or would the memory of her existence fade into oblivion along with the title of 'The Insane Fire Nation Princess'?

Was there any reason for her to keep living at all?

But her suicidal thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of rushed footsteps. She frowned, realizing someone was running to her… And she turned her head towards where she heard the sound…

Her eyes widened slowly until they were as far open as they could be, as she stared at the unexpected guest that had joined her on her stage.

Sokka was panting non-stop, looking as if he required some medical assistance after his race against time. His irregular breathing was slightly worrisome, but Azula was in too much shock to think about what state he was in. Why was he here? Why had he showed up out of nowhere after she had pushed him away in the way she had?

"A-Azula…" he said, leaning against a pillar

"W-what… what are you doing here?" she asked, feeling terrified for no reason.

"I… I…" he muttered, still trying to catch his breath "I had to… to come here… to tell you… that… that I'm sorry… but… but even if you… if you don't want me to… I'll keep my promise to you…"

Azula stared at him in disbelief and shook her head repeatedly, in complete denial

"What's the matter with you?!" she yelled "I told you to stay away! You can't help me anymore! You did everything you could, and it was more than enough! So just forget about me already! Go on with your life, be happy and let me be!"

"I'll… I'll do that…" he said, already regaining his stance "If I can go on with my life… with you by my side…"

"What…?" muttered Azula, in complete disbelief "What are you…?"

"I was an idiot…" he muttered "I let you push me away even when I said I'd stay with you…"

"You are an idiot!" yelled Azula "I pushed you away for your own good, damn it! Realize it already and stop seeking me out! Go to the arms of your Kyoshi Warrior, she's the one for you… You can't keep playing around with me anymore…"

"I won't…" said Sokka "I won't play around anymore, that's a given… but I won't go to Suki either. I… I can't. Even if I wanted to, I can't go back to her anymore…"

Azula was surprised to hear this. Did it mean what she thought it meant?

"We… we broke up" he confirmed, making her freeze in shock "I told her everything… and… and she took it so well… but she said… that you needed me…"

"W-what would she know…?" muttered Azula, unable to let go of her pride even now

"I don't mind… if you want to make this more difficult than it is" he said "Even if you try to kill me, I'm not going anywhere… I'm going to be here for you, even if you don't want me anymore… I discovered I can give up on anything, but I just can't give up on you… I don't want to let you go, and I'll never be able to! I don't care if we were meant for each other or not, that's irrelevant at this point! All I know for certain… is that I want to make you happy, and if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life doing my best to give you everything you've ever wanted… even if I'm not good enough for you…"

Azula shook her head, this was far more than she could assimilate. Sokka stopped leaning against the pillar and he walked towards her, looking at her with those honest blue eyes, those eyes that pierced right through her very soul, making her completely vulnerable to him…

"I don't know… if you'll take me now" he said "In fact, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I've messed up so many times… I've hurt you, I made you cry… and I'll understand if you want to kick me away again, but even if you do, I'll keep coming back a thousand times over and a thousand times again to make sure that whatever you decide to do with your life, the outcome will make you happy…"

"Why…?" she said, in complete shock. She had wished for something along these lines to happen, but not even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined her fantasies could come to life… "Why would you…? How could you…? Sokka, you're… you're crazy…"

"Last time I checked… we both were" he said, smiling "I'm sorry, but even if you try to run away from me, I'll chase you. I made my resolve, and there's nothing you can do anymore to change my mind. Because, you see… you weren't the only one who found herself falling for the least expected person"

"Y-you… you're saying you… b-but… how? Why?" she said, aghast

"How? I don't know. Why? I have no idea" he muttered, smiling "But there's one thing I can say for certain right now: I love you, Azula"

She felt her eyes swarming in tears again, but this time, they weren't tears of sadness; in fact, they seemed to be tears of utter confusion. How could something like this be happening to her? How could this wonderful boy have fallen in love with a vicious person such as herself? And even after she'd sent him away… he'd come back. He had returned to her, not by force, but by his own free will…

"I don't know if you still feel the same way about me" he muttered, reaching her "But, if you'll let me, I'd like to become completely yours from now on. Yeah, I'm just a peasant, and I'd understand if you wanted me far away from you, because I'm unworthy… but I had to offer myself to you, even if you don't want me anymore. My life belongs to you now, so do with it as you see fit as long as you'll be happy with your decision, okay?"

Azula was still staring at him, completely dumbfounded. It was the very same look she'd had on her eyes back when he'd kissed her, when their crazy and ragged romance had began. But this time, they were completely aware of what they were doing. This time there were no boundaries, no reasons to hold back anymore… as long as this was what she wanted, of course. And… wasn't it? Sokka caressed her hair, and leaned towards her.

"I love you, Azula" he said again, lowering his face and seeking out her lips…

But he found them faster than he thought he would, because she threw her arms around his neck and jumped upwards, kissing him with all her passion. Sokka hugged her tightly, even lifting her from the ground due to how delighted he felt at her reaction to his advance. This was it, they both knew it… it was the moment when they'd finally confirmed they belonged to the other, when they'd ensure they'd stay close together, just as the two stars above that seemed to sparkle in joy as they watched over them.

Sokka separated from her after a moment, desperate for air even when he wished to continue kissing her. He still held her closely, but he had put her on the floor again, his eyes fixed on hers, which were drenched in tears

"W-will there… ever come the day… w-when I don't cry while you kiss me?" she asked, smiling

Sokka laughed at her witticism, staring at her with the most loving eyes she had ever been seen with.

"I'm sure it will" he said "Because I plan on doing this again and again and again…"

"Good to know…" she muttered, tears glistening as they ran down her cheeks.

"Well, at least they're tears of happiness now!" he said, making her chuckle "Or… aren't they?"

"Of course they are, you dumb peasant" she said, beaming "I… I love you too, Sokka…"

The Water Tribe boy found himself smiling thankfully, glad to hear her give his feelings this answer. They had longed for each other far more than they thought they did, and now they basked in the glory of their finally realized love. He leaned down again, not caring about how breathless he was, just knowing he wanted to kiss her again… and she complied with a far gentler kiss than the previous one, still in awe, still wondering how exactly she had gotten away with this… She had been more than ready to give up on Sokka; in fact, she already had given up on him, which made his return to her side far more meaningful. It was proof that he really was the man she needed, the man that had shed light on the dark road she was walking, the one that made her realize her life had value, that she was important for someone… that she was important for him…

They continued kissing under the moonlight, completely lost within each other, certain they'd be together until the end of time. And from above, a spirit seemed to bless their union, knowing they could give each other the happiness they deserved, the love they had always yearned for. She smiled at herself, knowing she had tied the red string of fate around the fingers of the right couple…

_The moon god is all knowledgeable; her decision is unequivocal and certain: her red string of fate brings lovers together, binding them forever, marking a bond that will last until the end of time._


	18. Epilogue: The Reason-At the Beginning

Toph had heard the bison's roars from about two minutes before it landed. Aang and Katara had let her know they would drop by to visit her today, which was why she had been expecting them at the door of the Beifong Metalbending Academy. She had given the Lily Livers a break after an intensive afternoon of constant training, and while they regained their energies, she stood outside waiting for her friends to land. Appa went lower and lower until he finally dropped on the ground loudly, and he growled as if to declare his arrival.

"The furball is as noisy as ever, isn't he?" called Toph, smirking slightly

"Hey, Toph!" said Aang, grinning as he took Katara in his arms and jumped off the bison with her while using airbending to make slow down their course to the ground "It's been too long since we last saw each other!"

"I've never really seen you, Twinkle Toes" she said, her smirk growing more pronounced as her two friends approached her

"Your sense of humor is as sharp as ever" acknowledged Katara, hugging her "How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing great! The Lily Livers are improving a lot; even if I won't say it to their faces" said Toph "I have to keep them disciplined, you know?"

"Right…" said Aang, gulping. He remembered clearly his times as Toph's student, and he knew what kind of discipline she had in store for them…

"I'm surprised to have you guys show up like this" said Toph, as she led the way inside the Academy "I thought you were busy settling down in Yu… I mean, in 'Republic City'… Seriously, why did you and Zuko change its name? It was fine as Yu Dao… Republic City sounds weird to me"

"We called it that way because it's the center of the United Republic of Nations" said Aang happily "I think it fits the city really well!"

"Right" said Toph, yawning "Well? Why are you both here?"

"We just wanted to drop by and say hi!" said Katara, smiling "Did we come at a bad timing?"

"Not really" said Toph, shrugging "But I was sure you two would be having so much fun together you would never bother dropping by; well, that was a relief, actually…"

"So you really don't want us here?" asked Aang, his eyebrow twitching

"No, I meant I thought you both would spend every waking hour giving me the oogies with your sparkly romance" she said, shivering at the thought

"Oh, come on!" said Katara, blushing "It's not that bad! You and Sokka complain far too much!"

"Speaking of… where is he?" asked Toph "The last I heard of him was that he was living with the two of you… wasn't he?"

"He wanted to go to the Fire Nation Palace to visit Suki" said Aang "We left him there about a month ago, I think…"

"I see" said Toph "Well, it's a good thing they're not around right now, then. He's always so clingy to her… it's even more disgusting than the two of you. No offense"

"None taken…" lied Aang bitterly, as Toph led them into a sitting room

"I sent the Dark One to make some tea" said Toph, dropping on a cushion in front of a small table "He should be done with it any minute now"

"It seems you've been taking after Iroh's tea-loving ways" said Katara, smiling as she and Aang sat next to each other

"Maybe" said Toph, sighing "I do miss his tea, though… the Dark One is the best brewer among us, and he's definitely not up to Iroh's standards…"

"Maybe he'll improve with time" said Aang, smiling

"I can only hope he does" said Toph, shrugging "So… what's up with you guys? Is there any particular reason you came here, or did you miss me so much?"

"Well… remember you met with the Police Chief of Yu Dao?" said Aang "You two hit it off really well…"

"Right. What about him?" said Toph with a bored tone.

"We need better measures to keep Republic City safe…" said Aang, as the Dark One entered the room while carrying a tray in his hands "And I came up with the idea of a police force formed by metalbenders…"

"What?" said Toph, raising an eyebrow "You want my metalbenders to fight crime? Why?"

"It makes sense, Toph! Just hear me out!" said Aang "Metalbenders are strong and they can manipulate both metal and earth, right? If any bender tries to do something out of line, you and your students can catch him and have him face justice!"

"Aang, I'm more of the type to break rules rather than enforce them…" muttered Toph, picking her teeth with her fingers "I don't really know if being a police officer works for me…"

"Excuse me… Sifu Toph…" said the Dark One, kneeling next to the girl and interrupting what could have developed into a full-fledged argument "I've brought your cup of tea, and… a letter arrived for you today"

"What? A letter?!" said Toph, in dismay "Why don't people get it? I CAN'T READ!"

"If you want, I can read it for you" said Katara, smiling and taking the parchment and the tea cup the Dark One had offered her.

"That… that could work" said Toph, taking her own cup as Aang did the same. The Dark One bowed and walked away, leaving the chamber as Katara inspected the outside of the scroll

"Huh… it has a royal seal from the Fire Nation" she said, frowning "What's with this?"

"Maybe it's from Zuko" said Aang, shrugging

"Does Zuko want me to become a Police Officer of the Fire Nation Capital now?" asked Toph with sarcasm, and Aang cast a scornful look at her

"That conversation is still pending, you know?" he said, frowning

"Whatever you say, Twinkle Toes" muttered Toph, smirking

Katara opened the scroll and stared at her brother's handwriting with surprise

"Hey, it's from Sokka!"

"What do you know?" said Aang, smiling "How is he doing?"

"If she gets to reading it, we might find out at some point" said Toph, stretching her arms

"Okay, then…" said Katara, reading the parchment "'Dear Toph: It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it? How have you been?'"

"Does he really expect me to write him a reply?" she asked, skeptical

"It's Sokka we're talking about" said Katara, smiling "You can't expect him to think everything through, can you?"

"I guess you're right…" said Toph, shrugging

"'You must be wondering why I wrote this letter to you. I really didn't know what to do or who to tell about the most recent happenings in my life, but since you're my best friend, I realized I had to tell you before letting either Aang or Katara know about this' Hey, what's with that? Why does he think he should tell something to you rather than us?"

"I'm guessing he said that because he thought you wouldn't be the one to read the letter…" said Toph, smirking

"This is ridiculous!" complained Katara, but Aang patted her on the shoulder

"If you continue reading, we'll all find out at the same time even if he didn't intend us to…"

"I… I guess you're right" she said, sighing "It's just a little annoying to think that my brother doesn't trust me… well, anyway, I'll just carry on now! 'You might judge me and think I'm crazy for what I've done, and in a way, you would be right. Still, I thought that, if anyone would understand, it would be you'… why? Is it because you're the only one who's crazy enough to take in what he did?"

"Stop being so jealous, Sugar Queen" said Toph, smiling "And get to the point already, will you?"

"Okay, okay… 'It may look like a complete mistake to you, and you may think there's something seriously wrong with me, because that seems to be the popular opinion of everyone who finds out about this; still, I had to say it, because this isn't the kind of changes that could go unnoticed… The thing is, Suki and I broke up, and I'm involved with someone new'… WHAT?!" yelled Katara, in shock

"He broke up with Suki?" said Toph, raising an eyebrow "Sounds fishy to me…"

"And he's with someone else already?" asked Aang, surprised "Couldn't he wait at least a few weeks or something?"

"Who knows what happened between the two of them…" said Toph, shrugging "Still, why is he telling me this? What do I have to do with it?"

"How could he…? Why did he…? WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?!" yelled Katara, losing her temper and prompting Aang to take the scroll on her hands

"You know what, sweetie?" said the Avatar, smiling "I think I'll finish reading this…"

"What's the matter with him?!" she screamed, annoyed

"Come on, Sugar Queen…" said Toph "It's up to Sokka to choose who he wants to be with, so leave him alone"

"Yeah, I'm sure he must have his reasons to do this, even if it doesn't make any sense to us right now…" said Aang "Let's keep on reading, okay?"

Katara didn't seem willing to listen to the content of said letter, she was too angry at her brother to even think straight anymore. Aang and Toph realized she was on another one of her usual stubbornness fits, but nevertheless, they still wanted to discover the contents of the rest of the letter.

"'I'm sure this must have come as quite a shock to you'…"

"Not really" said Toph, shrugging "I couldn't care less who you make out with, Sokka…"

Aang decided to ignore her comment and he resumed the reading

"'And I haven't even told you the craziest part just yet…'… W-Wait a minute…" said Aang, reading ahead.

"What?" asked Katara, frowning "What does it say, Aang?!"

The Avatar's face grew paler and paler as he read Sokka's revelation several times, trying to understand how something so ridiculous and absurd could have happened… Katara lost her patience and snatched the paper from his hand, and Aang hardly even noticed, as dumbfounded as he was.

" 'The reason I broke up with Suki was because I fell in love with someone else, and that someone is…' W-wait… t-this can't be right…" she said, in complete shock

"What's going on?" said Toph, annoyed "I can't read it, so just tell me already? Who's Sokka's new cute and silly girlfriend? Ty Lee? Lei? Zuko?"

"Those options… were far more likely…" said Aang, twitching

"HOW THE HELL DID MY BROTHER GET TANGLED WITH AZULA?!" screamed Katara, jumping and throwing the half-finished letter to the floor, hysterical

"Gee, no wonder he thought I'd take it better than either one of you two" said Toph, smirking "Although I'll say that's hard to take… Sokka and Azula? Sounds like a match made in hell to me…"

"How?!" yelled Katara "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! HOW COULD THAT IDIOT DUMP SUKI FOR A PSYCHO LIKE AZULA?!"

"This is… so weird… is it a prank?!" said Aang, finally coming to his senses. He took the letter on his hands and scanned it quickly, but the more he read, the more he found himself in complete disbelief "'I know you'll think this doesn't any make sense at all, but Azula and I have grown closer over this past month. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was completely in love with her. I'm sure you'll be the only one to understand this, which is why I wanted to let you know first. Could you vouch for me when I tell Katara and Aang? Those two are bound to kill me if they find out about this before I'm ready to tell them…'"

"We were bound to kill you anyway!" yelled Katara "This is unbelievable! WE HAVE TO GO TO THE FIRE NATION CAPITAL AND ASK HIM ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"Appa is tired after such a long trip, Katara…" said Aang, even when he was as willing to discover the truth as his girlfriend "We can't go right now…"

"You two need to calm down" said Toph, shaking her head "Whatever Sokka does with his life isn't your business. In fact, if you want to give him a hard time for dumping Suki, you shouldn't bother. I'm sure being involved with Azula will be enough of a divine punishment for what he did to Suki…"

"You don't get it, do you?!" yelled Katara, pacing down the room while stomping as she went "It's Azula we're talking about! She's crazy, she's evil, and she's probably got a wicked plot to kill him once he's too in love with her to care about what she does to him!"

"In that case, she's going to get away with it easily" said Aang, looking at the letter "'I know how ridiculous it seems, it doesn't make much sense at first thought. Believe me, I went through the same denials when I fell for her… but I can't keep deluding myself, I love her, and she loves me back…' How on earth could Azula love Sokka? What is there about him that could have her fall for him? She always called him names and diminished him with her words! How… how… how?!"

"That's why we have to go to the capital RIGHT NOW!" yelled Katara, and Toph yawned, bored

"Good thing to know nobody remembers anything about me forming a Police Squad now" she said, smirking as her two friends kept trying to make sense out of the latest revelations, trying to understand how could such different people, who used to claim they were mortal enemies, fall in love with each other in the span of a month… But Toph hardly cared about the reasons behind their romance. As far as she was concerned, Sokka could be quite an idiot at times, but if Azula could make him happy, she wouldn't get in their way. Of course, if the firebender dared hurt her best friend, there would be consequences… but for now, she would trust Sokka's judgment. He'd made the right decisions before, so maybe this crazy development wasn't as absurd as it seemed to be…

…

"This is RIDICULOUS! It's actually impossible!" yelled the Fire Lord, walking up and down his office

Mai sighed, annoyed at her boyfriend's attitude. Normally he wouldn't care at all about his sister's relationships, because Azula never got involved with anyone at all. And now he was going on a rampage, trying to defend his little sister… or his best friend. Mai had no idea of who worried him more.

"You have to accept this, Zuko" said Iroh, sipping tea. He and Mai were sitting calmly on a couch as the Fire Lord walked around, losing his mind "It doesn't involve you, and it won't do you any harm. Accept it, and move past it. This might do well to both Azula and Sokka; you can't judge them without fully understanding the circumstances that led them to this"

"How can you be so calm about this, Uncle?!" yelled Zuko

"Maybe because he doesn't take everything to the heart, Zuko" said Mai, sighing "It's the first time I've seen you in months and this is how you welcome me…"

"Excuse my nephew" said Iroh, bowing his head towards Mai "He's so headstrong he forgets his priorities surprisingly often"

"I've known him for a while now, that's not news to me" said Mai "But I'll excuse him. I always do"

"Could you FOCUS on the real problem here?!" he said, turning to both of them looking exasperated "What am I supposed to do about this mess? It doesn't make any sense at all! Sokka… and Azula… it's plain ludicrous!"

"It's none of your business, Zuko" said Mai, sighing "Whatever those two want to do with their lives is their own decision. Leave them alone already"

"But… It's just absurd!" he said "In fact, as far as I know, they might be doing this for the sole purpose of making me mad!"

"If that were true, you would be giving them exactly what they want by being so angry, Zuko" said Iroh, to his nephew's dismay

"B-but… but I'm supposed to be mad! I told Sokka not to get involved with her, and he did!"

"Are you jealous Azula got Sokka and you didn't?" asked Mai, a grimace on her face "Because if that's the case, I think I'll break up with you again…"

"Of course that's not it, Mai!" yelled Zuko, disgusted "What's the matter with you?!"

"I think we're all wondering what's the matter with YOU" said Mai, frowning "Seriously, leave them alone. If Azula had opposed you and me being together, would you have cared at all?"

"Well… no, but… it's different!" said Zuko

"What's so different about it?" said Iroh, taking another sip from his tea "Everyone is allowed to fall in love, Zuko. You should be happy they're mutually in love rather than condemning their union in such thoughtless manner, my nephew"

"B-but… Uncle, it's her!" said Zuko "How do we know this will end well?"

"Why would you want it to end?" asked Iroh, smiling "When people get into a relationship, they're not thinking about how it will end. It's the journey in itself what they're concerned about… and if it's true love, it will endure every obstacle, and it will never end"

"But… Uncle, do you really think those two are in love?" asked Zuko "Isn't this… I don't know, lust instead? Maybe they're just physically attracted towards each other!"

"Oh, I don't think so" said Iroh, laughing "You have a lot to learn in life, my nephew. Ever since we were playing Pai Sho I sensed there was more to them than it seemed. And when I realized they'd been left alone on the Palace, I knew something was bound to happen. Still, even if you don't understand it, couldn't you at least feel happy for your sister?"

Zuko sighed and looked at the floor, irked

"I could try, but… Is she really happy with this? Is Sokka happy with this?" he asked

"Only time will tell" said Iroh, smiling "For now, you just have to go with the flow, Zuko. Their love might not last long, just as you think it won't… but it could easily become an affair of a lifetime. Don't judge them so rashly, my nephew"

Zuko sighed and shook his head, and Mai couldn't help but smile a little towards him. She was glad to see him genuinely concerned for the well-being of his friend… because she rather doubted he'd be feeling so worried about Azula. Since when had he become such a caring brother for her? Mai had been absent for all this time because she'd been on a lousy trip to her family's country house, since her parents had forced her to accompany them, and thus she had missed the latest happenings… She wouldn't show it, but even below the calm surface, she couldn't help but wonder: what could have possibly pushed the Azula she knew so well towards the Water Tribe peasant she had always despised so much…?

…

"He's… he's the worst!" yelled Lei, pacing down the room in which the Kyoshi Warriors were assembled "How could he do this to you?"

Suki sighed, trying to hide the fact that her friends questions only made her feel even more uncomfortable and depressed than she already was. The group of female warriors was in the chamber where they used to spend their spare time in, and since the break-up between their leader and his long-term boyfriend had been so unexpected, it was bound to be the conversation subject for weeks to come. Suki was being hugged by another one of the Kyoshi Warriors as she tried to put up with the comments the group was making upon the situation, especially Lei.

"Seriously, how?!" insisted the girl, in complete disbelief "And to leave you for that blasted princess… what's the matter with him? Did he want power or money, by any chance?"

"Come on, you know Sokka isn't like that…" muttered another girl, and Lei turned towards her

"I think we didn't know him as well as we thought we did" growled Lei, frowning

"Lei…" said Suki, surprising everyone "It's enough already. I… I understand you're mad at him, and so am I, but by being so angry we won't achieve anything at all. I have to move on, and it would help me if we just stopped talking about this already…"

Lei froze and lowered her head, realizing how selfish she'd been by speaking of this matter without thinking about how Suki would take it. The other Kyoshi Warriors approached Suki to show her their support, and the girl smiled

"For the record…" said the one that had been hugging her "Sokka is definitely an idiot for dumping you, and I hope he learns that the hard way"

Suki couldn't help but giggle and nod at her words, to the other's relief. Maybe it would take a while for her to heal these wounds, but she seemed to be trying her best to move on, to resume her life and to look back at the times she'd shared with Sokka with a smile on her face.

Only one Kyoshi Warrior seemed unwilling to walk up to Suki to show she'd stand by her leader. Ty Lee stood by a window, watching her friends with mild concern. She truly hoped they would understand her withdrawal from their group hug; how could she condemn Sokka for dumping her leader hook up with her best friend? In fact, she wouldn't say it, but she was sure Azula needed him far more than Suki did. Surely Suki would be in pain for a long time, but she had friends to support her, and she would be prone to find another man eventually, since she was far more adept socially than Azula was; she could survive this break-up even when things seemed so gloomy now. Azula would have never recovered from the blows of falling in love with someone like Sokka to no avail…

But it had worked out. They were together now, and they had pretty much announced it to the rest of the world by now. She had witnessed how Sokka explained it to Zuko, while Azula smirked behind him, wondering if her brother would die of a heart-attack with news like these. To Zuko's outrage, the two of them walked away from him holding hands, and holding back their respective fits of laughter at his reaction. Ty Lee had been left to 'comfort' Zuko, but she had pretty much passed him to Mai by the time the girl had showed up on the Palace. Only reminiscing about these events, Ty Lee found herself smiling involuntarily, hoping that the relationship between both her friends would last forever and after…

….

Azula was sitting on the edge of a walkway that led outside, towards the garden of the Royal Palace. Leaning against a pillar, her gaze was fixed on the skies, watching the two stars Sokka had mentioned to her once before. Truth to be told, Azula had never been one for similes and metaphors… but the one Sokka had come up with made her smile every time she saw those two dots up above, glittering as if in the middle of a conversation…

And close to the where the stars were, the moon seemed to be in the middle of her travel through the skies, on the last quarter before a new moon arrived. Azula didn't think it was normal to feel so fond towards her boyfriend's former lover, but she couldn't help but wonder if Yue was the one she had to thank for everything that had happened so far. It had been a rough and long road, and she had shed so many tears she wouldn't be able to count them even if she had tried to keep track… but they had been worth it. She had never been happier, never before had she felt whole and completed. The road she had been walking down through had always seemed dark and depressing, she had no expectations about it whatsoever, just hoping that her pain would fade away someday… And then Sokka appeared. He had shed light down that road of hers, and he had given her everything she had ever wanted… She knew she had hurt him several times, and she had made so many mistakes… but she wouldn't mess up ever again. She loved him more than he could possibly imagine she did, and she would do everything in her power to make him as happy as she was.

Had Yue been the one to tie the red string around their fingers? Truth to be told, she didn't know… but somehow, she hoped it had been her. That way it would seem as if the Northern Water Tribe Princess was blessing them and asking her to take care of the boy she had loved so dearly; and Azula planned to fulfill her wishes, no matter what.

She heard a set of familiar footsteps walking towards her, and Azula found herself smiling as he approached her. Just by being nearby he made her entire world far brighter…

"The kitchen staff has hated me for ages, and I keep making everything worse" said Sokka, sighing as he walked up to her while carrying a bowl full of orange snacks "Every misfortune they have, they'll blame on me, even when it's clear I wasn't the one to ruin their pretty stove"

"They still believe you to be the one who melted the frying pan?" she asked, amused "They're surprisingly stupid, aren't they?"

"I guess they are, but… what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he reached her, and she turned to look at him.

"How exactly would you have melted a frying pan?" she asked

"They seem to think I made you do it or something" he said, sighing

"And they think you can force ME to do something. Proof that they're truly idiots, see?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and sat down right next to her, setting the bowl between them

"I guess you're right, even if I hate to admit it" he said "The one forcing the other to do stuff over here is you, isn't it?"

"Yes, and that's the way it's meant to be" she muttered, smiling. She looked down at the bowl, and raised an eyebrow, surprised "What…? How did you…?"

"Why do you think I was talking about the kitchen staff?" he said, smirking "I sent them a note from Zuko, saying he wanted to eat some cheetos. The main chef headed out to deliver the snacks, but he didn't expect me to strike him on the head with my boomerang once he was on his way. He nearly went down with the bowl, but I managed to catch it before it fell… and I came here"

"You can be quite the criminal mastermind when you want to be" said Azula, smirking "The dreadful serial kitchen robber Sokka… chefs all over the world will cower in fear"

"You'll never change, will you?" he asked, as she laughed "Well, whatever. I like you just the way you are"

"Will you quit being so cheesy? It's embarrassing…" she said, her laugh vanishing as a blush showed up on her cheeks

Sokka chuckled and handed her the bowl, smiling

"I will, but you'd better thank me for my troubles" he said "I think the kitchen staff will try to banish me from the Palace after what I just did…"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen" said Azula, taking a cheeto "But I guess I should thank you for doing this anyway. The consequences may be horrid, but you did it nonetheless. Thanks"

"No problem!" said Sokka, proudly. If she actually appreciated what he'd done, he could spend the rest of the night smiling non-stop.

He watched her as she ate the snack, and he was surprised at the look of utter delight she had on her face once she put the cheeto in her mouth. She took her time before swallowing, savoring the food for as long as she could, and once she did, she was smiling in such carefree way that she hardly seemed to be the powerful and deadly Princess Azula anymore

"I enjoy food, I really do… but only these little flaming marvels can make me think my life is far more valuable just because I've been able to eat this snack…"

Sokka seemed completely shocked, and he looked at the bowl with disbelief

"Is it really that great?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

"Didn't you nick any while you carried them here?" asked Azula, surprised "I can't believe you didn't…"

"W-well, I got them for you, so… no, I didn't take anything" said Sokka, shrugging

"Then take one!" she ordered him "You won't understand what I'm talking about if you don't do it! But just one… the rest is mine"

"So this is the way I'll be rewarded after all my troubles to get you your favorite meal" he said, in disapproval "I should've seen it coming…"

"Oh, alright, you can take some more…" she said, even though the decision seemed to be one of the most difficult ones she had made in her life.

"It's okay, Azula. I was just joking" he said, smiling as he took one cheeto.

Azula stared at him, wondering if he'd enjoy the snack or not… but she had no doubt about it once he finally ate it. His eyes broadened as he chewed it, and he seemed to enter a state of shock as the flavor of the snack spread through his mouth

"W-wha… WHAT IS THIS THING?!" he yelled, impressed "IT'S SO GOOD I COULD DIE!"

"I… I know the feeling, but you have to calm down now…" said Azula, trying to appease him

"It was over way too fast! Give me another one, I beg you!" he said, almost in tears

"Calm down, Sokka!" she said, shocked "Have more, it's fine!"

To her dismay, Sokka took a fistful of cheetos and shoved them into his mouth, enjoying the wonderful taste with a stupid smile on his face. He wouldn't doubt Azula's liking for food ever again, that was a given.

"You're unbelievable" she said, smiling as she took a fistful as well, trying not to fall behind him.

They ate silently since they didn't really engage in a conversation, but they were really noisy as they ate, since eating cheetos quietly wasn't an option at all. Azula kept staring at the moon, which moved slowly through the heavens, approaching the spot where the two stars were. She smiled, truly believing the moon spirit was the one who had given her an opportunity with the wonderful man next to her… she turned to look at him, but she caught him in the middle of stuffing his mouth with more and more cheetos, to the extent that both his cheeks were accumulating the snack as he kept throwing more into his mouth.

Sokka gulped when he realized she was looking at him in slight disgust and he cleared his throat, embarrassed

"I… I didn't mean to do something so inappropriate… sorry…" he said

"I don't blame you, but you do need to learn some manners" said Azula, smirking "Even cheetos should be eaten with a far more educated demeanor…"

She stretched her hand to her left, but rather than finding a cheeto, she hit the bottom of the bowl. She looked at it and found there was nothing but crumbs left. She frowned, and Sokka looked at her, feeling guilty

"I'm… I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to!" he insisted, bowing down his head.

Azula sighed and shrugged

"It's too late for me to do anything about it now" she muttered "I've learned to enjoy them as I eat them, so I'll get by this somehow. You, on the other hand…"

"Yeah" said Sokka, sighing "I miss them already…"

Azula giggled, prompting him to laugh too, still ashamed of his behavior. He looked at her, unable to erase the smile on his face. How had he managed to make such a wonderful girl fall in love with him? Was he truly worthy of her? Well, even if he wasn't right now, he'd do everything he could to improve himself to become the man she needed… But in the meantime, she seemed happy and relaxed, which wasn't a sight anyone was used to witnessing. Sokka smiled, wondering if these were aspects of the girl that only he had gotten to see… He liked to think that way, it made him feel closer to Azula than anyone else, and after all, he truly was that close to her, just as she was close to him as well.

"What… what are you looking at?" she asked, noticing he was staring at her as if in a daze

"I have every right to look at you nowadays, accept it already, woman!" he said, folding his arms and making her giggle again

"Will you ever answer a question like a normal person would?" she asked

"Will you ever act like a normal person?" he inquired

"I doubt it" she muttered, amused

"Well, neither will I" he said, making her smile even more

"Fine, I won't insist, then…" she said, staring at the sky again.

"Say, why were you here?" asked Sokka "I looked around for you, but I didn't really think I'd find you here…"

"I was just staring at the sky, I guess" said Azula "You could say I was talking to your first girlfriend"

"Huh?" said Sokka, puzzled "What for?"

"No particular reason…" muttered Azula "I don't think she and I would have gotten along if we had met, all I know about her is that we were nothing alike…"

"True" said Sokka, nodding "The only similarity between the two of you is that you're both princesses. Your hair is black, hers was white… you can be the cruelest person in a room, and she was the kindest instead… Yeah, you wouldn't have gotten along at all"

"Which is why I don't really know if she meant for you to end up with me" said Azula "But then again, she's a spirit… she must have known what she was doing, right?"

"I guess she did know" said Sokka, smiling "Tying up the red thread of destiny between the two of us wasn't something she did out of chance. I'm sure she knew it could work out"

"I only hope not to disappoint her" said Azula "I'm sure she must have loved you very much…"

"I guess so" said Sokka "But still… it's not as if our relationship had been allowed to bloom. I guess our feelings didn't develop as much as they should have…"

Azula looked at him, knowing that Yue would always have a special place in his heart, only for her. It made her feel a little jealous, but she was more than willing to accept it, since she truly believed the moon spirit was the one who had joined the two of them together.

"Anyway… you really are weird" said Sokka, smirking "Most girls hate their boyfriend's first love… how come you even sit here talking to her?"

"I thought you'd realized I'm not like most girls" she said, shrugging "It does bother me a little to think you have such history with other girls, but it doesn't annoy me so much not to be your first one…"

"Huh" said Sokka, surprised "Well, that's all fine, I guess… At least I'm your first guy, right?"

"In a way, you are…" admitted Azula "You're the first one to be formally involved with me. But I should note you weren't the first boy I kissed…"

"W-wait, WHAT?!" yelled Sokka, outraged "How…? Why…? WHO?! Who kissed you before I did?!"

"Why does it bother you so much?" she asked

"B-because… I don't know, but I just don't like it!" he said "Well? W-who took your first kiss, then?"

"Ty Lee and I were discussing him back when you interrupted our conversation" said Azula, smirking "He was a moron called Chan. He wasn't worth my time, of course…"

"If he wasn't, why did you kiss him?" growled Sokka, unable to hide his jealousy

"I guess I was intrigued" said Azula, shrugging "I wanted to try and fall in love with somebody, even if it was someone I knew nothing about. It was something really meaningless, and I scared him off right after he kissed me, to be honest…"

"How?" asked Sokka, curious

"By telling him that together we could conquer the world" said Azula "He wasn't as ambitious as I thought he'd be, so he fled as soon as he realized I was far more demanding than the girls he was used to"

Sokka couldn't help but chuckle at her story.

"Didn't he know anything about you?"

"We were on a trip to Ember Island, and I never bothered telling him my identity" said Azula, shrugging "If I had, he might have acted differently for the mere sake of taking a place in the Royal Family for himself… But he didn't know, so I got the chance to make him pay for his cowardice and burned down his house"

"Yeah, that sounds about right" said Sokka, puzzled as Azula smirked, recalling the wonderful feeling of destroying the teenager's home "So… conquer the world, you said?"

"Exactly" said Azula "It wasn't the greatest phrase for flirting, which I learned the hard way, some would say…"

"Maybe it wouldn't have worked with guys like that one" said Sokka "But it might have worked on me"

"Seriously?" said Azula, skeptical "Do you want to dominate the earth with me, Sokka?"

The Water Tribe boy smirked and winked at her

"It's too tempting an offer to refuse, Princess"

Azula found herself laughing at his response, unable to believe someone would actually do agree to such insane proposal. Sokka put away the bowl that still was between them and surrounded her shoulders with his arm, pulling her closer to him.

"Well, whatever" said Azula, letting her head rest on his shoulder "Even if we had previous romances with other people, we're together now, and that's what matters"

"True…" said Sokka, smiling "But… do you really think what you had was a romance? I mean…"

"Shut up" she said, and he obeyed her promptly, knowing that pestering about that matter wouldn't get him anywhere.

The two of them looked at the moon right then, as it passed by both their favorite stars.

"She really tied us together, didn't she?" asked Azula, smiling

"I guess she did" said Sokka, caressing her hair "And I'm really glad she did. Seriously… now I'm with you, I know there's no one else I'll want to be with from now on"

"Good to know our plans are that similar" she said, looking at him "So… I guess this is it, isn't it?"

"What? The closure of this mess?" he asked, smirking

"No… the beginning" she said, closing her eyes "It may look like we finally solved everything, and we're finally allowed to be together… but truth to be told, this is nowhere near the end. This… this is only the start. We'll be walking the same road from now on, Sokka… are you sure you want to walk it with me?"

Sokka raised her head towards him and smiled at her gently

"I'll be holding your hand as we walk down that road, if you don't mind" he said, caressing her cheek

"That's exactly the way I wanted it" she said, smiling with such pure joy that Sokka couldn't help but say

"I love you, Azula"

Her smile brightened up even more as she answered

"And I love you, Sokka"

They hugged each other close as they joined on another kiss, and this time, she wasn't crying. He made her so happy that she couldn't imagine having any other motive to cry anymore… it was all because of him. She had a life she could lead proudly, a fate that no longer seemed dark and pointless, and she had the most wonderful lover, who was the reason why the path ahead of her looked brighter than ever.

THE END… or is it?

**A/N**

**Woah, I can't believe this is done. I started to visualize this crazy story's plotline back when I was writing the Origins of Pro-Bending, and back when I began that one, I had no idea I'd fall in love so deeply with this pairing. I'm not the type to ship insanely too often, few couples produce in me the crazy urge to ship to death… In fact, I think I've got a list and it doesn't surpass 20 ships in EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WATCHED AND READ… And believe me, I've watched and read quite a lot of things! But Sokkla… it took over me before I could even realize what was going on…**

**Alright, if you don't care about the details on this fic, you're welcome to ignore what I'll be about to explain, but before you go… if you liked The Reason, check out The Origins of Pro-Bending! It's the sequel to this fic, and even when the plots are really different you should give it a go! You might like it, you never know!**

**Okay, now onto the details of this whole ficlet… I have to tell the story from the beginning, I guess! xD ****A friend of mine and I were talking about Pro-Bending, arguing if the Gaang could beat the Fire Ferrets... and I started wondering what team would the Gaang comprise of if they actually tried to fight a Pro-Bending match. Because whatever line-up they used, one of the Gaang's benders would be left outside... so I resolved that Aang would fight against the other three and Sokka would be the referee. I told my friend I would make a fanart about it. Nevertheless, I didn't find the time to take my digital tablet and start a masterpiece such as the one I had in mind... so I never drew the fanart.**

**One day I was riding a bus on my way home, and I remembered my plans to make that drawing. Since my mind loves to play games with me, I suddenly started wondering what sort of circumstances could lead Aang to battle against Katara, Toph and Zuko on a fair bending match with rules and all... And of course, who could come up with Pro-Bending and why? Since I'm a crazy Azula fan, I immediately wanted to throw her into the equation in some way, but I had figured Sokka would be the planner of Pro-Bending... Still, there's plenty of small details in this sport, and Sokka, even if he's smart, he tends to forget about a few things while drawing out his grand plans... **

**I had seen a beautiful Sokkla artwork by saanika on deviantart only a couple of days ago, and, like any regular person, I thought "Oh, please! Granted they look good together, and this fanart is really pretty, but there's no way this could happen!". Funnily enough, up until them I'd been a proud canon shipper, because ships such as Zutara, Tokka and others didn't cause me any interest; even if I tried to ship them, something just wouldn't click in my head. But, before I knew it, I was becoming more and more curious with Sokkla... Maybe it was because I knew why people shipped those other two I mentioned, but Sokkla was a complete mystery to me. Even so, I found amazing and inspiring fanarts and eventually, I decided to throw in a little crack in my Pro-Bending fic nearly as a joke. I thought Azula would make a living hell for Sokka, but he'd be so stupidly in love with her that he'd welcome that hell gladly.**

**Which is why you can see Azula being all high-and-mighty on Pro-Bending's chapter one, and Sokka seems like some silly fanboy trying to defend her from his mean little sister. Still, I realized there was no way Sokka would have jumped into a relationship with Azula without a reason, without another storyline... but said storyline didn't come to mind until a fateful day, when I was cooking, I think...**

**I had put on some music on my computer while I made some hamburgers. I was thinking about the Origins of Pro-Bending at first, but the question of how could Azula and Sokka get together in something that wasn't an AU came to my head yet again. How, how, how...? And the answer came when my Windows Media Player decided to play a certain song for me...**

**I'm not a big K-Pop fan, the only boyband I can stand is SHINee, and not even all of their songs. In fact, the only song I ever listened to was Sherlock, but with the mini-album of the same name came another song called The Reason. I hardly liked this song, I think I'd heard it on the wrong moment, I guess. But this time, it was the right moment. I don't know if any of you readers use music as an inspiration to write, but I do, and that's what gets me going: I listen to something and an entire movie plays in my head, which I later polish and perfect before I write it. **

**And that's the way The Reason was born. I had no idea of what the SHINee boys were singing about, I know a little japanese but korean is totally foreign to me. But that song sounded so perfectly accurate, so ideal for Sokkla that I didn't even need to understand what they said for my head to go through such creative explosion. Later I searched the lyrics, and when I found a good translation I realized I had been right: it was the perfect song for Sokkla.**

**After that it was hard to focus on the Pro-Bending fic XD I just wanted to write The Reason so badly! And, of course, after listening to that fateful song, I realized I'd fallen headfirst for Sokkla. They just made so much sense together, even when I know there's virtually no way for it to happen in canon... So I guess you could say I wrote my own canon XD unless Bryke expressly says otherwise, I'll stick to my Sokkla theories!**

**So that's how it all began. You could consider this entire fic was built based on songs, something that didn't happen with The Origins of Pro-Bending. Granted a few songs helped me figure out what to do with that one, but this fic has a general theme song and each chapter had one or two songs to inspire it. I have to mention some special songs too, and the first one of them is Ito, by SID. It's pretty much a song about adultery... but it worked perfectly for the moment where Sokka realized that what he'd done with Azula was stabbing Suki in the back... Ito means Thread, by the way. And thread... do I need to say more? XD SID's vocalist tends to throw in the red thread of destiny on his love songs, such as in Natsukoi, Hosoi Koe and others I can't remember now. And once my head had started to create my plot, I also listened to Ito, which got me thinking about using the red string of destiny. I researched a little bit about it to make sure my facts would be right, or at least, not too far off... and then I find in Wikipedia that the responsible for tying the red string around the lover's fingers was none other than THE MOON GOD! I mean, how much luckier could I get?! Everything added up!**

**So that's pretty much all of what I wanted to explain concerning the creative aspect of the fic. I refrained from writing author notes because I wanted this fic to be as genuine as possible, so instead, I threw in phrases about the red sting of destiny. Of course, I wrote an author note on Revolving Lantern because the cheetos were too much of a crazy spin-off, and I had to explain where that had come from XD thanks again to the amazing Grey DeLisle for the tip! XD**

**So... down to the songs aspect! What song and why? I pretty much compiled a score for this fic, and I felt obliged to post it here! I can't put the lyrics of all the songs I used, or else I'll make this epilogue even longer than I intended to, but I'll throw youtube links to the songs so that you can hear them if you want to ^^ Still, my musical likings might not match with yours, so it's okay if you don't like my setlist XD copy the links, paste them on your browser and erase the spaces to get the actual link.**

**First off... Chapter One: Boy Meets Girl. This is a pretty generic phrase, people use it ALL the time! But in my case, it was brought up because of Evan Taubenfeld's song. I don't expect many people to have heard it, but it's really good if you ask me! XD The saying "Boy Meets Girl" pretty much implies the beginning of a love story, so that's why I used it as a name for the first chapter. Also, I made a Sokkla AMV to it, so rather than sending you to an official video, HERE! Enjoy the Sokkla! www. youtube watch?v=gRKISVoQlsc**

**Chapter Two: Garden of Ruin. Another SID song, this one is actually called Rakuen in the original japanese. Rakuen translates literally into Eden, but our cool Mao changed the first kanji of the word to alter completely the meaning of the word. So it became a Garden of Ruin. This song is about loneliness, literally, and it's pretty much what Azula was feeling while firebending… It's quite the heart-breaking song, but I just love it! www. youtube watch?v=efCdA0cLIR4 Oh, and if you want a link for a translation of this song, ask me on a PM.**

**Chapter Three: Stranger. I wasn't a big fan of the huge change The Rasmus went through on their latest album, I'm a huge fan of their previous work, but the new album was very different… nevertheless, I did like the first song, Stranger. And I managed to witness all the struggle between Sokka and Azula with it: how Sokka ran towards her, how Azula threw her blue fire at him, how he hugged her even when he was bound to get killed for it, how she let him comfort her even when he was a complete STRANGER… See? Get it? xD okay, okay, enough of it, here you go! www. youtube watch?v=efCdA0cLIR4**

**Chapter Four: Thread. The Ito I already mentioned earlier. Another SID song, I think I already explained what the deal is with this one, it's a song about two people getting involved and pretending nothing happened later on… you can take it for adultery in a way, or as in a forbidden romance that might destroy them… anyhow, here: www. youtube watch?v=FAIsKF1Gyro Again, if you want a translation, PM me!**

**Chapter Five: Speak of the Devil. A Sum 41 song this time, one that I never had managed to apply to anything I was writing about even when it's one of my all-time favorite songs by this band. But in this case… it was perfect. The phrase "I've been waiting for a chance to nullify this sick romance" applies so perfectly well to the way Sokka is trying to fix his situation with Suki by leaving behind what happened with Azula… So yeah, he pulls the cord to detonate, but blowing it up didn't work as well as he thought it would… www. youtube watch?v=7FeTs5l5gRQ**

**Chapter Six: Stronger. This song I owe to Generator X, since it was a recommendation he made me. It's a pretty popular song, but I hadn't really bothered to listen to it closely…and when I did, I figured Azula was bound to decide that, if her weird affair with Sokka wouldn't kill her, it would make her stronger. So yeah, Kelly Clarkson for you! www. youtube watch?v=Xn676-fLq7I**

**Chapter Seven: Anything You Can Do. I had NO idea of what to name this chapter. Originally it had been meant to be the first part of Revolving Lantern, but I realized it was coming off WAY too long, so I split it in two. And so… what should I have called it? I'm currently obsessing over The Mentalist as well as with Sokkla, so one day, by chance, I was watching videos and I ran into a funny little musical with a song I'd heard a few times before… Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better! It doesn't apply perfectly to the chapter, I'll acknowledge that xD but since Sokka and Azula were so busy trying to prove their superiority on Pai Sho, I thought "Why not?" so I used this song ^^ here, have a link to the video, and I hope you laugh as much as I did if you watch it! xD www. youtube watch?v=3bEn8HyI0iY**

**Chapter Eight: Revolving Lantern. In the original Japanese, it's Soumatou. SID strikes again, this time with a song about how Azula lives in a world that Sokka can't reach. I didn't really link the song so much to the events of the chapter because our sweet little pairing insisted on fighting and arguing, and they didn't let me make them think about what troubled the other. Still, I had Sokka trying to know a little more about Azula, so it works like that, I think… Also, it's a pretty song with an oriental edge, so I had to use it at some point xD www. youtube watch?v=wxY74vGvc04**

**Chapter Nine: Stay (Be the One). I've been a fan of Avril Lavigne ever since I was eight years old. Yeah, that means that I've listened to her from around the time she first put out her first album. She has changed over the years, but nonetheless, I still love her music and her beautiful voice! This is a B-Side for her first album, I think she recorded way too much music back then and most songs didn't make the cut. Getting around finding a few of these songs isn't easy xD but still, it's the perfect song for unrequited love. It's Azula's fantasy to have Sokka all to her… but Sokka's got someone else, so she's left doing nothing other than long for him in silence… www. youtube watch?v=q9oskOLYX-U**

**Chapter Ten: Fall to Pieces. Two Avril songs in a row! I don't know if any of you noticed, but this is the only chapter without a "red string of fate" reference. It has a little phrase below, but no mention of the red string. Why? Well, I guess it's because I centered it on Suki, and as anyone would figure out… she's not the one Sokka was tied to, even if it always looked as if she were. Fall to Pieces applies to her completely, because she's totally in love with Sokka even if he's fooling around with somebody else… I know a few of you didn't buy the way she gave up on him so selflessly, but if she had kept him, she would have never forgiven him for what he'd done with Azula while disregarding her completely… it's pretty complex, I guess. But I refused to hook her up with other people for two reasons. The first: I'm sick of reading fics where she's portrayed as a, in the lack for better words, heartless bitch that never made Sokka happy. Wake up, fandom! Suki is a good girl, even if you don't want her to be! Those two loved each other, and maybe Sokka loved Yue more than Suki, but it doesn't change the fact that he had strong feelings for Suki. Therefore, I refused to have her look like a heartless bitch. It's time this girl gets a little respect, and if I had her look like a saint, then I guess I was merely making up for all the hate she gets on other fics. The other reason… is that I just couldn't hook her up with anyone; I don't have any prospects for her. I'm fine with Zuki or Suko, dunno what it's called, I think they might be a good pairing, but since I've started these fics with Maiko in mind (I expect those two to hook up again at some point in The Search, because that's the way they are…), I couldn't throw her to Zuko's arms. So sorry, Suki… anyhow, here you go, Fall To Pieces. www. youtube watch?v=q9oskOLYX-U**

**Chapter Eleven: Light. Or Hikari, in the original language. Another SID song, because these guys never cease to inspire me! This song is really pretty, and it talks about discovering the meaning of life and such… also, it's about wanting to protect. Sokka wasn't really trying to protect Azula directly, but everything he did on this chapter, he did it with her in mind… A phrase of this song says "I'd like to live on in somebody's heart. Here's hoping that it'll be on yours". You could consider it to be Azula's hopes to become somebody important for Sokka… she didn't know she already was xD again, if you want a translation, just PM me! Here you have the link: www. youtube watch?v=23lTDJ50Hpc**

**Chapter Twelve: Affection and the Norm. I returned to my origins! Yeah, I'm a hardcore Digimon fan, and Digimon Tamers' second ending is really pretty… Its original name is Days ~Aijou to Nichijou~ by AiM, or Ai Maeda. It's a song about somebody who's feeling uneasy, troubled, maybe even suffering… but someone is standing by her, no matter what, always giving her support. It sort of says that, as long as he's there, giving her kindness, she'll be able to look at the future gladly. And… seriously, it couldn't have applied more to what was happening to those two in this chapter. Azula truly endured that rough ride, traveling for the first time in years, just because he was there cheering her on and leading her to a better place… PM me for the whole translation! Here's a link: www. youtube watch?v=0dMz_2gda1A**

**Chapter Thirteen: Naked-The Temperature of Your Tears. Naked is by Avril Lavigne again, and I'll be totally honest: back in the day I used to take this song completely literally, because I stink at understanding metaphors xD but suddenly, ten years later, I found an alternate meaning to it, and by hearing the song, you might understand it too while thinking about Sokkla: www. youtube watch?v=_cO_Gn15Ba0 "I get up every morning, put on my face. The one that's gonna get me through another day. Doesn't really matter how I feel inside. This life is like a game sometimes" Azula always hides what she feels, puts on her mask every day and nobody cares if she's hiding her true self or not. But… "Then you came around me, the walls just disappeared. Nothing to surround me, to keep me from my fears. I'm unprotected… see how I've opened up. You've made me trust" Pretty much explains itself, doesn't it? Sokka got through all her façade, her masks, and discovered the real Azula… but rather than fleeing or laughing, he accepted and embraced everything she was… beautiful, huh?**

**Namida no Ondo is another SID song, and while Naked was pretty much from Azula's point of view, this one is Sokka's. It's about someone trying to help out somebody else in every way possible, and it has some really pretty verses too. So it added perfectly to Sokka. Again, if you want the translation, PM me. Here's the song: www. youtube watch?v=Kc7ryOQ3SKc**

**Chapter Fourteen: Faint Voice. Hosoi Koe, by SID yet again. I prefer the live version of this song, but nonetheless, the meaning is the same. This one has a reference to the red string of fate, saying "Also, we didn't care if the thread connecting us turned red". It applies so well to the whole pseudo-break-up of our main characters, because there's an unreasonable gap between them, because the uncertainties increased, and because there was one premonition… that their wonderful affair would come to an end. Oh, the angst… PM me for the translation if you want it… www. youtube watch?v=RWTvQkZEN6U **

**Chapter Fifteen: The Story of Me and You. Another song by Evan Taubenfeld. This pretty much stuck to any chapter of the end of the fic, since it's about a wonderful relationship getting rugged and messed up slowly… they're trying not to break everything off, trying to make it through, but it's really hard, so… yeah… www. youtube watch?v=6FWNSVS7a7k**

**Chapter Sixteen: Razorblade Limeade-What Remains. The first song is again by Evan Taubenfeld, and on this one, it's about how Sokka is trying to think about this carefully, realizing his feelings for Azula were far deeper than he thought. He offered her everything, and he walked out on that promise at the first hurdle, just as he said… and he knows he'd go six feet underground to prove he'd die for her. But Suki's still there… here's the song www. youtube watch?v=0bKnxLI3FFc**

**And to solve the Suki issue… Nokoriga by SID. It's supposed to translate into Lingering Scent, but I decided to take it on a different edge and turned it into "What Remains". Maybe you really can't translate it like that, but I did anyway, and it worked wonders. It's a break-up song, about someone still loving the other person, but knowing things were meant to end somehow. It hurts, but he, or in this case, she has to move on. Ask for the translation if you want it, and only listen to the first song here, the second one has nothing to do with the fic xD but if you like heavy stuff… listen to it. You might like it xD www. youtube watch?v=Y1fGVvd_qAM**

**Chapter Seventeen: Another SID song again, this one is Circus and even if with that name it seems to apply better to Ty Lee, it's again another brilliant metaphorical song, and it refers to a boy admiring a girl from afar, too afraid to take the plunge and confess his feelings… "A relationship as unstable as walking on a tightrope" is a phrase I borrowed from this song, Ty Lee thought about this while she talked to Sokka, and it couldn't fit the situation any better. Their relationship is crazy, it's bound to have its ups and downs, there might be times when they'll end up wondering if being together is the right thing… but even if it's a rough ride, they love each other enough to get through every single obstacle on the way. Circus even gave me the sensation of Sokka running through the streets, trying to find Azula, doing everything he could to tell her what he truly felt for her and hope she'd take him, even when he thought he wasn't good enough for her… This song is amazing; if you want the translation, let me know! And here you go the link! www. youtube watch?v=F6jtpa8GftQ**

**Epilogue: The Reason-At The Beginning. I think I said everything I had to about The Reason XD this video has a pretty decent translation to the lyrics, even though it's not the one I'd used while writing this fic XD Anyway, here: www. youtube watch?v=5VyCDXusYGQ And as for the other song…If you ever watched Anastasia while growing up as I did, maybe you'll remember the song on the credits, and that's the one I'm talking about. Because this isn't really the end for the two of them… it's the beginning of their lives together! Sorry if I'm fangirling uncontrollably, I'll shut up now, then…here you go a link, just in case you haven't heard it or don't remember it: www. youtube watch?v=Mct2-ElrXbE**

**So if you managed to read ALL of that…I'll give you what you've surely been waiting to hear xD This isn't really the end, I have more Sokkla ideas, but this particular fic is over. Maybe I'll write another fic about them in the future, but not just yet. I need to focus on writing an original story for now, but don't lose hope! I've got a two-shot (it used to be a one-shot, but I realized a two-shot would be better) on my mind for some more Sokkla… also, I've got an Legend of Korra fic in mind, and even when Sokkla won't be the main deal there, I'll give them tons of cameos whenever I can, and I'll put their kids on it too ^^ if you don't know who the kids are… I suggest you go read The Origins of Pro-Bending. It's not as Sokkla centered as this one, it has some action even though it's also packed with some drama… Yeah, I'm a drama queen. You wouldn't guess it if you knew me! xD**

**Well, that's that! Thanks for reading The Reason, and thanks for reading this extremely long author note if you actually bothered to read it xD See you around!**


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